


Broken

by Nakira Taisho (nakirataisho)



Series: Rejecting Canon [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-22 17:52:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 48,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2516609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nakirataisho/pseuds/Nakira%20Taisho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Dark Curse has been broken, but to the surprise of all, not only are the fairy tale characters still in Storybrooke, there is now magic, which poses a terrible threat to all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Gold has brought magic to Storybrooke and uses it for revenge against Regina. Meanwhile, Prince Phillip breaks the sleeping curse on his love, Princess Aurora, only to face a terrible foe.

_There…_

In New York City, a writer by name of August W. Booth limped out of his apartment building. He waved to the doorman and looked at a postcard in his hand. The postcard was from Storybrooke, and the word 'Broken' was written on the back of it. The doorman greeted him and he headed to the street, looking at the postcard again, and the wooden hand that was holding it. He looked at his reflection in a window and sighed heavily at his wooden appearance.

Of course, no one else saw him for what he really was.

_Now…_

Emma took Henry from the hospital after he was dressed. They waded through the purple smoke.

_There…_

Mulan rode with Phillip to a castle. They arrived and she followed him on foot to a pavilion in the middle of a barren courtyard. A barricade of thorns had grown up between the columns of the pavilion. Phillip cut through the thorns and Mulan followed him to the bier sitting in the middle. Just as he'd described, the girl laying on the bier was unbelievably beautiful. He leaned to kiss the sleeping woman, but stopped to look at Mulan.

"If this works…we don't tell her everything," he told her. "Not right away." She didn't agree with withholding information, but she nodded anyways. She watched as he kissed the woman. A flash of light spread from the connection and as Phillip backed up, the woman gasped sharply, waking up.

"Phillip…," the girl breathed out. He smiled.

"Yes, Aurora."

"I told you not to come after me," she laughed, kissing him. Mulan grimaced behind her mask and stepped out from under the pavilion. "How long have I been asleep? What happened?"

"It doesn't matter," Phillip insisted. "The worst of it is over. Now that we're together, we'll restore this castle and our kingdom, and…as we dreamt, be here always."

"Where is everyone?" the princess questioned. "Why does it need to be rebuilt?"

"It's a long story, and you, my love, need rest."

Mulan rolled her eyes and paced the courtyard, keeping an eye out for danger. She had a bad feeling about the situation. Her gut was telling her that something bad was going to happen.

_Now…_

Mary Margaret stepped away from David as the smoke cleared. She looked around, but they were still in Storybrooke, barely a block away from Granny's Diner. She frowned and looked at David.

"What's happening?" she questioned. _Shouldn't we have gone back?_

"Let's find out," he answered. She nodded and held his hand. They walked down the street together. She saw Ruby and Granny hugging outside the diner.

"Snow?" Ruby questioned when she broke away from her grandmother. Mary Margaret nodded and hugged her friend. Beside them, David hugged Granny. Over Ruby's shoulder, she saw the dwarves approach. She broke away from Ruby to hug Granny.

"Your Highness?" Leroy questioned. She broke away from Ruby and smiled brightly at the group of men. They bowed and she shook her head, hugging them. "The Curse…it's broken?"

"It appears so," David said as Leroy broke away from the group hug to clasp hands with him.

"So what do we do now?" Ruby questioned.

"Now…," Mary Margaret sighed. "I find my daughter."

"So, it's true…," Emma said behind her. Mary Margaret turned and smiled, close to tears. She hesitantly touched Emma's cheek.

"You found us…"

"Grandpa?" she heard Henry question from behind Emma. She laughed a little.

"Yeah, kid, I suppose so," David answered, hugging the boy.

"She did it; she saved you," Henry laughed.

"She saved _all_ of us," Mary Margaret corrected, smiling at her grandson.

"I…no…," Emma argued slowly, blushing a little.

"Uh, then why are we still _here_?" Leroy questioned.

"That, my friend, is an excellent question," David sighed.

"What was that smoke?" Tom Clark said, sneezing.

"Who did this?" Doc asked (Mary Margaret didn't know his name in Storybrooke).

"What was that smoke?" Bashful (another she hadn't met in Storybrooke yet) questioned.

"And why?" Walter added.

"And _what_ was that smoke?" Happy joined in.

"Magic," Mother Superior answered, joining them. "It's here. I can feel it." Mary Margaret smiled at the woman and touched her hands.

"Magic?" Henry questioned. "In Storybrooke? But you're the Blue Fairy. Do something magical!"

"It's not quite that simple, Henry. No wand…no Fairy Dust…matters are complicated now," Mother Superior sighed.

"Let's go to the person responsible for bringing it; the Queen," Leroy growled and the others nodded in agreement.

"No, wait," Emma stopped them. "It wasn't Regina."

Lacey stopped smirking as the smoke cleared and Gold turned to face her. She gave him a sweet smile. She had a feeling he might have known about certain things. He was a smart man. Smart and conniving. Those two traits were what had drawn her to him in the beginning.

"My darling, Belle," he started.

"It's Lacey, here," she corrected. "I had a cursed life just like everyone else."

"What happened to you? I was told you were dead…"

"I was abducted," she sighed.

"Regina," he guessed.

"She locked me away for a few months, but I escaped," she explained. "I was in hiding until the curse, and since I've been Lacey, I've been working at the pub and recently at the sheriff's station." She indicated the deputy badge clipped to her waistband.

"All these years…you've been here? Alive…," he trailed off, touching her hair. "Then…all the times I've seen you in Storybrooke…?"

"Weren't hallucinations. Somehow, the curse didn't affect me fully," she lied. "I still remembered being Belle. I thought you wanted nothing to do with me, so…"

"So you let me believe that you were dead and I was seeing a ghost…"

"Why did you bring magic? For revenge after you found out that I'm alive?"

"Oh, no, but it might come in handy."

"No," she said firmly.

"I cannot let this stand, Belle, I _will not_ let this stand!"

" _Lacey_ ," she corrected again. "Promise me you won't give into your hate. Promise me you won't cause her death." Regina had made a deal with her to get the curse broken, but despite Regina cursing herself not working, the curse _was_ broken, so it was good enough for Lacey. Henry had always been the uncertain factor in things, and she was sure he'd assumed the curse had been for Emma and taken his own actions.

"Sweetheart…," he sighed, touching her cheek. "I promise." He kissed her passionately.

Emma sighed a little as she walked down the street with the group. It was so strange, knowing that Mary Margaret was her mother. She supposed that they'd been subconsciously drawn to each other and that was why they'd become friends.

"Is there anything you want to ask us?" Mary Margaret asked. "I mean, you must have questions."

"The only questions I have are for Mr. Gold…why did he double cross me, and what did he do to this town?" she questioned. _I'm also worried about Regina, but that can wait..._

"Um…shouldn't we talk about… _it_ first?"

"What?" she looked at her former roommate.

"Us? Your life? Everything?"

"Can we do…everything, maybe, later?" she sighed. "Like…with a glass of wine? Or several _bottles_ …," she trailed off.

"I know it's a lot to take in, for all of us," David sighed.

"And we don't want to push, but we've waited for this moment for so long—"

"Yeah," she cut her off. "So have I! I've thought about this moment my _entire life_! I've imagined who you might be…but of all the scenarios that I concocted…my parents being…," she trailed off, gesturing at the entire group. "I-I just need a little time. That's…that's all…"

"Snow…," David sighed, touching Mary Margaret's shoulder. They heard shouting down the street. Emma turned to see Dr. Whale leading a mob through the street. Archie ran to them.

"There you are!" he gasped. "Come with me, I need your help! Dr. Whale's whipped everyone into a frenzy; they're going to Regina's house," he explained. Emma blinked and ran off before he could finish. She knew exactly what they were going to try and do to Regina. And with Regina's recent behaviour, Emma wasn't entirely sure that the mob would get much of a fight from her. She had to get there before them.

_There…_

Mulan shook her head a little as the pair reunited, catching up. She continued her pacing. She felt the ground tremble a little under her feet and she followed the vibrations up a small set of stairs. She knelt and touched the ground, the trembling became stronger. Frowning, she drew her sword. Something flew out of the ground, and she barely managed to avoid injury as the explosion threw her backwards.

Phillip ran to help, swinging his sword at the creature. Dazed, Mulan looked at Phillip. The princess called his name as he slashed. A medallion fell from the creature's neck. He picked up the medallion as the creature shrieked and retreated from the daylight as a cloud moved away from the sun.

"What was that thing…?" she heard Aurora question. Mulan tried to get her bearings.

"Something bad…," Phillip answered.

_Now…_

Gold took Lacey to the shop, still stewing over the fact that he'd been lied to. All those years, he had directed his hatred and revenge on her father, when it was Regina that deserved to suffer. He glanced at Lacey, unsure how to deal with this. Yes, he'd made a promise, but he couldn't let this go.

"You uh…you wait here, B—" he cut himself off. "Lacey," he corrected himself. "I'll…I'll be back." She quirked an eyebrow, but nodded a little. He went into the back room and unlocked a cabinet. He pulled on a pair of leather gloves and retrieved a small gold container. He opened it and removed the Wraith's Medallion, putting it in his pocket.

Regina was sitting in the foyer of her house. She knew what was coming. A mob to kill her. She held the turnover that Henry had bitten into, considering it. A banging came at the door.

"Open up!" Whale shouted from the porch. "Open up, or we're coming in!" He banged on the door again and Regina stood, putting the turnover on a table. She went to open the door.

"Can I help you?" she questioned him, surprised that the mob was as small as it was.

"That smirk isn't going to last forever, Regina," Whale snapped. "You took everything from us, and now—"

"What?" she cut him off. "Now you're gonna kill me?"

"Eventually," he answered. "But first, you need to suffer."

 _Can he get any more annoying?_ She thought sourly, stepping onto the porch and pushing him back. "Listening to you has been enough suffering for all of us," she said aloud. "That's right," she told the crowd, mustering as much of her old 'wicked' tones as she could. "You wanted to see your queen? Well, my dears…," she trailed off, lifting her hands.

If she could just frighten them enough to leave her alone, she'd go eat the turnover and be done with everything. "Here. She. _Is_ ," she flung her hands toward the crowd. They cowered on instinct, but the blast of magic she'd envisioned sending them flying didn't come. She grimaced as they realized that she couldn't use magic.

"She's powerless!" one man shouted.

 _No…_ , she thought as they started to surround her.

"Get her!" another said loudly.

"Now…," Whale started, shoving her into a column. "Where were we?" He put his hands to her throat and started choking her. A gunshot fired as her airway was cut off. Whale loosened his grip just enough that she could breathe again. She saw Emma push her way through the crowd. She almost breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let her go! Let her go!" the sheriff shouted, aiming her gun at anyone that blocked her path. "Let her go!" The gun was aimed at Whale's head.

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Because I am still the Sheriff," Emma snapped, cocking the gun. "And if you don't, I'll blow your brains out." He stepped away with his arms up. Emma glanced at Regina. "You okay?"

"I'm fine…," she whispered, surprised that Emma would threaten to commit murder for her sake.

"No matter what Regina did," she heard Mary Margaret say as she and David pushed their way to the porch. "It does not justify _this_!"

"We're not murderers here," David added.

"Well, we're not from this world," Whale argued. Emma trained her gun on him again.

"Yeah, well, you're in it now," the blonde growled. David put himself between the doctor and his daughter and Emma lowered her gun. Regina couldn't help but smile a little at Emma's actions.

"Okay, Whale, we're done."

"Back off," the doctor snapped. "You're not my prince."

"Who are you, Whale?" David asked in confusion.

"That's _my_ business."

"Well, _my_ business is making sure this town doesn't go to hell, so, whether or not I'm your prince isn't the issue," David growled. "We have a lot to figure out, and this isn't the way to do it."

"And Regina's death won't provide any answers," Mary Margaret added, stepping protectively between the crowd and her stepmother. Regina blinked in surprise at their behaviour. Was it prompted by Emma's attitude? "She needs to be locked up," the woman continued. "For her safety and, more importantly, for ours."

Emma shook her head a little and looked at her parents as Granny and the others pushed the crowd back. She turned to Regina, looking to make sure she wasn't injured. Aside from a little bruising on her neck from Whale's grip, Regina looked fine.

"Let's get this crowd cleared first," she whispered to her parents. They nodded a little and she went into the house with Regina. "Regina, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine…really…," Regina answered. Emma sighed and then noticed the turnover on the table. She reached to pick it up.

"You still want to curse yourself?" she questioned, turning it over in her hand. Regina said nothing, so Emma sighed again. "Please don't. Giving up isn't changing yourself." She took the turnover to the kitchen and put it in the trash bin.

"They're gone!" Mary Margaret called from the porch just then. Emma went to Regina and gently tugged her to the door.

"Promise me you won't do anything to yourself. If not for me, then for Henry," she said, touching Regina's shoulder. She searched Regina's expression.

"Okay…," Regina relented as they all went to the station. When they got there, Emma guided Regina to a cell and locked her in. "So…I'm a prisoner now?"

"If the curse is broken, why didn't we go back?" David questioned rather than answering her. Emma sighed a little, stepping back to touch Henry's shoulders gently. He looked up at her, clearly not liking the situation anymore than she did.

"Because that's not how the curse was written," Regina sighed. "And that land is gone."

"We should get to Gold…," Mary Margaret murmured. David paused, but nodded and the couple left. Emma gave a sympathetic look to Regina.

"Henry, go on ahead, I'll catch up," she told him. He nodded and hurried after his grandparents. With a sigh, Emma went to the door to the cell. "This is only temporary, Regina. Just until we get everything calmed down. Please don't do anything drastic."

"I won't," Regina answered lightly. Emma nodded and joined her parents.

Regina sighed tiredly and looked at the lock. She'd need to get her magic working again if she was going to defend herself from wayward citizens. When the family was gone, she extended her hand to try and magically unlock the cell.

"Magic is different here, _dearie_ ," Gold told her, emerging from the shadows.

"I noticed," she snapped. "I assume this is all your doing…"

"Most things are."

"Get to it, _Rumple_ ," she growled as he approached her cell. "What do you want? You here to finish the job?"

"No, no, no," he sighed. "You're safe from me."

"I feel so relieved," she bit, turning to sit on the cot. He stopped her, reaching into the cell to grab her wrist.

"I made a promise that _I_ wouldn't kill you," he said as she yanked her hand back.

"Miss French?" she guessed.

"You are…a dreadful liar," he snapped.

"I could have killed her, but I didn't," she sighed. "And she escaped my dungeon rather quickly."

"You did much worse than kill her," he growled, snatching her wrist again. "You kept her alive so you could kill her when it suited you. A fate… _worse_ than death, which, incidentally, is exactly what I have in store for you." He pulled her hand through the bars and pressed a medallion to her bare skin.

"Is that…?" she gasped, realizing what he was doing.

"Yes, dearie," he answered. "The one thing no one can escape: destiny. And I promise, yours is particularly unpleasant." He released her and she stared at her palm. He chuckled and left.

_There…_

Mulan stood and scanned the area, adjusting her helmet. She noticed the medallion in Phillip's hand and frowned a little. The symbol on the medallion proved to her just what they were facing.

"Qui-shin," she sighed. Phillip put the medallion in a pouch at his waist. "In your land, you would call it a Wraith," she clarified. The princess looked at Phillip in confusion.

"I'm sorry, who is this?"

"A friend," Mulan answered, pulling her helmet off and pushing hair out of her face.

"You're…a _girl_?"

"Woman," she corrected. "My name is Mulan."

"In your absence, she has helped me like no other," Phillip explained. "We've fought many battles together."

"With a woman?" the girl asked, incredulous. Phillip simply nodded.

"And now, we have another to wage," Mulan sighed, ignoring the reaction to her gender (she was far used to it) and turning her attention to more important matters. "The Qui-shin, the Wraith, is one of the most dangerous creatures in all the known lands…a soul sucker. According to legend, it marks its victims and removes their souls, damning them for all eternity."

She paused as they heard the creature's wail. "Those are the sounds of the souls it's trapped, trying to escape. But fortune favoured us, as we all avoided the mark," she sighed, hoping that Phillip's grabbing the medallion hadn't marked him. "We need to begin our journey." She turned to go to the horses.

_Now…_

Lacey was getting all of her belongings from the back of the shop, wondering what Gold was up to. She had a feeling it involved breaking his promise, but she'd deal with that as it came. She could tell that there was something between Emma and Regina, and she doubted that Emma would allow anything to happen to Regina.

Gold went to a clearing with the dagger in hand. He stopped and dropped the medallion on the ground. He lifted the dagger over his head, smirking.

"The Dark One summons thee," he said before stabbing the dagger into the ground inches away from the medallion. The creature rose from the center of the medallion and he watched as it flew away.

Regina sat abruptly on her cot, gasping. She looked at her hand, seeing the Mark of the Wraith appear on her palm. She began shaking and the lights flickered a little.

Emma shut the door of Ruby's car behind Henry after telling her to take him to the inn to find Neal. She didn't want to put him in harm's way if anything happened.

"Keep him safe, Ruby," she told her before they drove off. She turned to her parents. "You guys ready?"

"We need to talk," Mary Margaret said quickly.

"I…well, I don't…I just…I don't wanna talk," she sighed.

"Well, I do, okay?" the other insisted. "Gold can wait, I can't. You're my _daughter_ …and…I wanna talk to you. I know that we _have_ talked, but we didn't know that we were talking. We've talked about things we probably shouldn't have even talked about…one night stands and the like…," she trailed off.

"One night stands?" David questioned.

"Whale," Mary Margaret answered, nonchalantly.

"Whale?!" he demanded.

"We were cursed!" she defended herself. "And that is neither here, nor there. The point is, we did not know that we were mother and daughter, and…now we do. And…so…please…let's talk."

"Okay," she relented. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"We're together, finally, and I can't help but think that…you're not happy about it…"

"Oh, I am, but…it…here's the thing," she sighed. "No matter what the circumstances, for twenty-eight years, I only knew one thing: that my parents sent me away."

"We did that to give you your best chance," Mary Margaret explained.

"You did it for everyone, because that's who you are. Leaders, heroes…princes and princesses…and that's _great_ …and amazing…and…wonderful…but it doesn't change the fact that for my entire life, I was _alone_ ," she told them.

"But, if we hadn't sent you away, you would've been cursed, too," her mother argued.

"But, we would've been together," she bit. "Which curse is worse?" She paused, turning. "Come on…let's go find Gold." She headed for the pawnshop.

_There…_

They rode through the forest towards Safe Haven. The sky started to darken with the late afternoon. Mulan sighed and pulled her horse to a stop.

"We should camp here tonight," she told her companions. "The Wraith only appears when light is absent, that's why it ran when it first appeared. Light is its adversary."

"And you wanna stop, now?" the princess bit. The ignorance of the girl was starting to tick Mulan off.

"It's looking for a mark, something alive," she explained. "Our best bet is to be still until night passes."

"She's right," Phillip agreed. "We have to rest here." They dismounted and made camp.

Mulan stepped away to gather some firewood and make her own space away from the lovesick royals.

_Now…_

Gold went back to the shop and made some tea for himself and Lacey. The door opened and he looked up to see Emma and her parents coming into the shop. He smiled a little and turned his attention back to filling the teapot.

"What can I do for you?" he asked them. Emma came to a stop directly in front of him.

"What you can do, is tell us what you did," she growled.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "You're gonna have to be more specific."

"You know damn well what we're talking about," David snapped.

"You double-crossed Emma," Mary Margaret bit. "You took your…uh…potion, from her!"

"You did who knows what to this town!" David added.

"And worst of all, you risked Henry's life!" Emma finished.

"Well, that is quite a litany of grievances now, isn't it?" he questioned, putting the lid on the teapot.

"Maybe, I don't need answers," Emma growled. "Maybe I just need to punch you in the face."

"Really, dearie?" he questioned with a laugh. Emma's first reaction usually seemed to be violence. He went around the counter. "Allow me to answer your questions with some of my own, all right? Did your dear boy, Henry, survive?"

"Yeah," she answered.

"Is the Curse broken? And let's see, Miss Swan, how long have you been searching for your parents? Looks like you're reunited. Seems like, rather than a punch in the face, I deserve a thank you."

"Twist my words all you want," Emma bit. " _What_ was the purple haze that you brought?"

"You know…," he trailed off, giving a flourish of his hands. "Magic."

"Why?" Mary Margaret asked softly.

"Not telling," he answered. Something outside rumbled, shaking the building. Car alarms began going off.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked as her parents looked out the window in the door. The sound of the Wraith's wail could be heard. Lights outside began flickering.

" _That_ …is my gift to you," he answered. " _That_ is gonna take care of Regina."

"Bastard…," Emma muttered, barreling from the building. A surprising reaction. Without words, Mary Margaret and David followed.

"You lied to me," Lacey murmured from behind him. He turned to her.

"No…I-I kept my word," he told her. " _I_ will not kill her."

"You promised you wouldn't _cause_ her death," she corrected, her blue eyes dark with all too familiar rage. "And here, I'd hoped you'd changed."

"What, in the hour we've been back together?" he quipped. She frowned and headed for the door. "Belle, I-I'm sorry," he started. "Lacey," he corrected himself when she didn't respond to her real name. "I'm _sorry_." She paused as she opened the door. "I am."

She shook her head and a strong wind blew through the shop, blowing several things from their places. She opened the door and went out, slamming it. The wind that blew from her exit nearly knocked him off his feet. He was a little surprised by what happened, but at the same time, he knew he'd deserved it.

_There…_

The sun was setting on their campsite. Mulan was trying to light a fire, but the wood wouldn't catch the spark from her flint. The sound of the Wraith could be heard and she looked up to make sure it wasn't nearby. She saw Aurora emerge from the tent.

"Where's Phillip?" the princess questioned, approaching her. The question confused her.

"I thought he was in your tent," she answered.

"He said he was making a fire," the other argued.

" _I'm_ making the fire," she said plainly, realizing what was happening. He _had_ been marked.

"I can see that."

"He left," Mulan sighed, standing up and looking around. "The horses are gone."

"Why would he leave?"

"Because he was marked…," she trailed off, packing up the tinderbox.

"What are you doing?"

"Going after him! He's sacrificing himself for you," she explained, drawing her sword.

"No, for both of us!" Aurora argued. "We have to get him!"

"I'm going alone," Mulan snapped. "You'll only slow me down."  
"No, I won't slow you down!" Aurora shouted as she started off. "Mulan!" She quickened her pace, tracking Phillip. "Mulan! Mulan, wait! Mulan!" She rolled her eyes and continued on. "Mulan!!"

_Now…_

Regina stood as the lights began to flicker in the building. She held her marked hand, shaking. A wailing sound came from outside the building. She heard a car alarm go off outside.

"Hello?" she questioned nervously. "Who's there?" The creature appeared in the room, seeming to materialize from thin air. Regina backed up against the wall. The door to her cell was thrown from the hinges and into a far wall. "Help…," she whispered, thinking of Emma and Henry. It put a hand towards her and it felt like all the air in her lungs was being dragged out.

Emma ran into the station. She was almost too late, and she panicked, grabbing a chair. She threw it as hard as she could at the creature.

"Leave her alone!" she shouted at it. The chair shattered and flew across the room. David ran in with a sword in hand. He swung at it as Emma ran to get to Regina. She glanced over to see the Wraith distracted just long enough to barricade David in the hall with a desk. Mary Margaret jumped out of a corner with a canister in hand.

"Over here!" she shouted. The door to the other cell was ripped off its hinges and the woman barely managed to get out of its way. Then, something happened. Emma stood in front of Regina and held her hands out protectively.

A bright white light flashed, seeming to come from her palms as the creature turned to try to attack Regina again. It covered its hooded, empty face and flew away. Emma nearly collapsed, but Regina steadied her from behind.

"What the hell was that thing…?" Emma questioned as she caught her breath.

"A Wraith," Regina answered, helping Emma to the cot. "A soul sucker…"

"Did I…?" she trailed off.

"Kill it? No, it's regenerating. It'll be back. It doesn't stop until it devours its prey…," Regina sighed, showing her hand and the mark seared into it. "Me…"

"So, how _do_ we kill it?" she pressed, feeling a little better already.

"There's no way. You can't kill something that's already dead."

"Then we have a problem," she bit, touching Regina's hand.

"No," David snapped. "We don't. Regina does."

"What?" Regina gasped.

"David…?" Mary Margaret looked at him.

"You want to let her die?" Emma growled.

"Why not? If it goes away, then we're safe."

"That's quite the example you're setting for your daughter," Regina grumbled.

"No, _you_ don't get to judge us!"

"Let me ask you something. Where do you think that thing came from?! Gold."

"I made a promise to Henry," Emma snapped at her parents, standing and putting her arm around Regina's waist. "She's _not_ dying." She glanced at Regina to see the shock on her face.

"If it can't be killed…," Mary Margaret mused, looking rather confused. "What _do_ you suggest?"

"Send it somewhere it can't hurt anyone…," Regina sighed, pulling away from Emma. She frowned a little, but didn't say anything. They all nodded.

"How?"

"I have something in the office," the mayor answered. They all went to Town Hall and up to Regina's office. The mayor went to retrieve a hat box. Emma blinked at it. "Did Henry really ask you to protect me?"

"Yes," she answered. The other woman smiled a little and pulled a hat out of the box. "The hat…you had it all along." She wasn't really surprised about that, though.

"What do you mean?"

"That's Jefferson's hat!"

"You met Jefferson…?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Torches," David said, cutting her off as he and Mary Margaret came in, carrying brooms. "For when it comes back. I know it's old fashioned, but so am I."

"So, how does it work?" Mary Margaret questioned. Regina sighed a little and lifted the hat. Emma watched her.

"I'll show you," the mayor said, leading them to the main hall. "It will open a portal to our land. All we have to do is send the Wraith in there."

"Oh yeah, just that…," David muttered.

"I don't understand, I thought our land was gone," Mary Margaret said, leaning a broom on the wall.

"It is…in a sense. There aren't any people there and we can't go back there. Without prey, the Wraith will disappear," she explained as David started lighting the brooms. Emma watched her, staying close as Regina put the hat on the ground and tried to spin it. The lights flickered and the Wraith's wail could be heard.

"Regina…," Emma muttered, leaning towards her.

"I'm trying…!" The doors to the room blew open and Emma bit her lip.

_There…_

Mulan lifted her torch, checking tracks on the ground. She heard a noise and drew her sword, turning warily. The sound became clearer, the steps of a horse. Aurora came into view, riding one of the horses.

"I found one of the horses," the princess snapped. "I'm coming with you," she continued, giving no room for argument as she dismounted. Mulan sighed and sheathed her sword.

"You need to stay here, it's dangerous," she snapped. _And you are not a warrior_ , she added silently.

"I wasn't asking for your permission," was the reply. Something that Mulan had once said to the generals of her land.

"That thing out there is dangerous," she tried again to talk sense into the girl. "And Phillip…he left to protect you, so, even if I don't believe in his methods, I'm going to honour his wishes. I'm going to keep you safe."

"I never asked him to," Aurora sighed.

"You never had to," she said, touching the princess' shoulder. "Everything he does, he does for you. And now, he's going to die for you. Love is sacrifice. Something you clearly don't understand," she bit, turning to follow the tracks again.

"I'm not going to let him face that thing alone!"

"He won't. But with all due respect, your highness, Phillip's best chance is _me_."

"You love him…"

"What?" She turned to look at Aurora. How had the princess come to that conclusion?

"Phillip. You love him, too."

"I owe him much," she corrected. "We fought many battles together, side by side. Nothing more," she said honestly.

"Deny it all you want!" Aurora argued. "I _know_ love when I see it."

"You're wrong," she snapped. _I'm not interested in men_ , she thought. They heard the wail of the Wraith and Mulan drew her sword.

"Phillip…"

_Now…_

Regina frantically tried to get the hat to work as the Wraith came into the room. She could hear David and Mary Margaret fighting the creature off with their makeshift torches. She glanced at Emma, who was hovering beside her.

"Regina…?" Emma questioned, her hand hovering by Regina's shoulder. She glanced at her former enemies. David was trying to battle the Wraith and Mary Margaret was dousing the railing with alcohol. They were risking their lives for her, all because of Henry.

"I know!" her voice was panicked. The hat just wouldn't spin.

"David!" Mary Margaret called to him when the rail was doused. He turned from the Wraith to close the gate and set the rail on fire with his torch.

"Hurry!" he told her.

"It's not working!"

_There…_

Mulan finally relented and allowed Aurora to ride with her. They could hear Phillip shouting ahead. She urged the horse faster, hoping to get there before it was too late.

"C'mon ya bastard!" Phillip cried out. Mulan pulled the horse to a stop as they came to the clearing. "No!" he shouted, spotting them. Mulan dismounted and helped Aurora down. "Stay back!" They ran to him.

"Phillip, what are you doing?" Aurora questioned.

"You know what I'm doing," he told her.

"No, please! We can help you fight!" Aurora argued.

" _Go_!" he insisted. "It will find me!" The sound of the Wraith's wail could be heard overhead. He turned to them and showed the mark on his palm. "I've been marked! It's too late for me! _Go_! There's no other way!"

"Yes, there is!" Mulan argued, stepping towards him. "Give me the talisman. I can mark myself, and you can live."

"This is _my_ choice," Phillip told her. "To save you. To save _both_ of you."

"But Phillip, I don't want to live without you!" Aurora started towards him and Mulan held her back, recognizing that he didn't want saving.

"Neither do I," he told her as the Wraith appeared. "You two need to keep each other safe!"

"Phillip, no!" The Wraith hovered above Phillip and Aurora struggled against Mulan's grasp.

"I love you," he said as he threw his torch to the ground and allowed the Wraith to take his soul. Aurora screamed and Mulan began crying. The prince fell dead and the Wraith was pulled back into its medallion. Mulan released the princess and watched a moment as the girl ran to Phillip's side. She joined her, kneeling.

_Now…_

Emma was starting to get worried. If they couldn't get the hat to work, they couldn't do anything about the Wraith. She couldn't lose Regina.

"It's not working!" Regina shouted as she tried to force the hat to spin.

"What's the problem?" she questioned, crouching beside her.

"Magic…it's different here."

"Now would be a good time!" David shouted at them. Emma touched Regina's arm in an attempt to give her support. Suddenly, the hat started spinning and a portal opened. She looked over to see the Wraith knock David into the wall. Mary Margaret was on the ground not far from her. The flames on the rail had died. The Wraith flew straight at Regina.

"Regina!" she shouted, shoving the other woman out of the way. The Wraith was sucked into the portal. Emma started to get up, but she felt something grab her ankle. She shouted in surprise as she was dragged into the portal.

Regina jumped to her feet, about to jump in after Emma. She turned to tell Mary Margaret and David to take care of Henry, but Mary Margaret moved quicker than she could.

" _No_!" the woman shouted, running for the portal.

"No!" David shouted as well, running to jump over the rail.

"I'm not losing her again!"

"Don't!" Regina tried to stop her. Mary Margaret shook her head and jumped into the portal after Emma. The portal closed just as David jumped over the rail towards the hat. "No…" The man landed on the hat.

_There…_

Mulan took Phillip's body to Aurora's castle and placed him on the bier Aurora had once occupied. The princess was still practically weeping over his body.

"This palace was to be our home. We were to spend eternity here…," the girl sighed.

"How did you end up here, in your cursed state?" Mulan questioned.

"You're not the only one who knows about sacrifice," Aurora said sharply. It made Mulan regret her earlier comment. She sighed and pulled the Wraith's medallion out with her gloved hand, putting it into a small leather satchel.

"Here," she said, offering the parcel to Aurora. "You should have it."

"Thank you…," Aurora smiled a little, taking it.

_Now…_

Regina stepped back as David stood and picked up the crushed hat. Thoughts were raging through her mind. What was left in the Enchanted Forest? What had she done?

"Where are they?!" David demanded, shouting. She stepped back.

"You know where…"

"Are they dead?" he demanded, approaching her.

"The curse…it took everyone from our land and—"

"Are they dead?!" he demanded, cutting her off.

"I don't know!" she answered, a few tears falling.

"I should've killed you myself," he growled, stepping closer to her. She was tempted to let him kill her.

"Well then, what's stopping you?" He reached to strangle her and she shoved him back to defend herself. Magic threw him into the far wall and vines grew from the wallpaper to hold him in place. "You think you're some heroic prince?" she snapped. "You're nothing but the son of a shepherd…I didn't mean for this to happen! And if you try to kill me…I don't have a choice…"

"Mom?!" Henry shouted from the door. She looked over to see her son entering with Ruby.

"Henry…what are you doing here?" she questioned, releasing David.

"What are you doing?"

"It's okay," she sighed, crossing to him. "It's safe…"

"W-Where's my mom?" he demanded. "Where's…"

"They fell through a portal, Henry," she told him. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean for—"

"No, you're not!" he shouted. "You really are the Evil Queen! First you tried to curse Emma and then you send her and Mary Margaret away!"

"No, Henry…that's not—"

"I don't want to see you ever again!" he continued, cutting her off.

"No, please don't say that…I love you," she sighed.

"Then prove it! Get Emma and Mary Margaret back! And until then, leave me…leave _everyone_ alone!"

"David…take care of him…," she whispered, stepping back. The group left and she sat on the ground, crying. The hat was destroyed and there was no other way to travel between realms that she knew of.

Lacey sighed as she went back into the shop, assessing the damage she'd left in her wake. Surprisingly, she hadn't done all that much damage. She went to the back of the shop to see that Gold was sitting behind a spinning wheel, spinning away. She cleared her throat a little and he stopped short, looking at her.

"Hey…," he greeted.

"I went for a long walk," she told him.

"I thought you didn't want to see me?"

"I don't," she snapped. "I was worried."

"Well, the beast is gone," he sighed. "Regina…lives."

"So you didn't get what you wanted," she bit.

"Well, that remains to be seen," he muttered.

"Leave her—" she broke off, seeing the chipped cup. "You still have it…my chipped cup…" She picked it up and turned it in her hand. He stood and took it from her.

"There are many things in this shop…but this…this is the only thing I truly cherish. And now…you must leave."

"What?" she questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"You must leave, because, despite what you hope, I'm still a monster," he told her.

"Don't you see?" she laughed, taking his shoulders. "That's exactly the reason I have to stay." In the end, she still loved him and would stand by him. _Someone has to keep him in line_ , she decided.

Henry went into the small home when David unlocked the door. He spotted a picture on the wall and sighed, looking at it. It was a picture of Emma and Mary Margaret.

"Henry…," David said, touching his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry," he told him. Henry looked at his grandfather, still a little star-struck that he'd actually been right and that his grandparents really were Snow White and Prince Charming. "Emma and Mary Margaret…they're alive."

"How do you know?" he sighed.

"I have faith."

"Why?"

"Henry," David said firmly, kneeling and turning Henry to look at him. "Henry, I _will_ find them. I will _always_ find them."

_There…_

Mulan sighed a little, not liking the situation. There was too much open space and their voices were reverberating enough to draw ogres to them. She'd promised Phillip that she'd protect Aurora, and she would.

"We should leave this place," she told Aurora. "It's not safe here."

"But the Wraith is gone…," Aurora argued, looking at her in confusion.

"There's more," she sighed. "You need to know everything." Mulan turned to watch the princess' reaction. "Much has changed in our land since you've been asleep," she told her.

"It was less than a year!"

"In a manner of speaking. You see, as you slept, and Phillip and I searched for you, something worse happened."

"What…?"

"Are you familiar with the queen called Regina?"

"Yes…," Aurora nodded a little, still confused. Mulan took a heavy breath.

"She cast a curse on this land," she explained. "A terrible, terrible curse. It ripped everyone away to another world."

"But… _we're_ still here," Aurora argued.

"This corner of the land was untouched, no one knows why," she sighed. "But something saved us. And for 28 years, we were frozen. And then…time started again. The terrible curse's power was weakened. Phillip and I were able to resume our search. We found you, but the land is ravaged with dangers more fearsome than you can imagine. For those of us who remained…we found a safe haven. We must go there now." She paused, hearing a noise from the wreckage left by the Wraith.

Mulan rested her hand on the hilt of her sword and she approached the wreckage. "Something's in there…," she muttered. She then looked at Aurora, who had followed her. "Stay back," she instructed, and for once the girl obeyed, taking a few steps back.

"What did it bring? What is it?" Aurora questioned. "What do you see?" she demanded as Mulan lifted up a large piece of the rubble, under which the noise was loudest. She blinked in shock at the pair of women laying there. "Mulan, what is that?"

" _That_ …is what brought the Wraith here," she growled. "That's what killed your prince." The two women in the rubble were unconscious and wearing strange clothes. The blonde shifted as if to wake up.


	2. We Are Both

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina tries to regain her magic, David tries to find the missing Mary Margaret and Emma, and it's discovered what happens when citizens try to leave town. In the past, Regina is presented with an escape from her mother's abuse.

_Now…_

Lacey watched from behind a tree as the dwarves stood at the town line. Leroy had a can of spray paint in hand. He sprayed a line on the road to mark the town line. She couldn't help but wonder what they were doing, though she had a pretty good idea.

"This, gentlemen, is our mission," Leroy said, capping the can of paint. "The great barrier of our existence. Does it remain? We must investigate _the line_."

Her old friend pulled a bag with lots in it out of his pocket. "I made straws. Short one crosses." He put the bits in his hand and moved to one end of the line of his brothers. "Draw."

"With the curse broken, we _can_ cross, right?" one asked as he pulled a lot from Leroy's hand. "Should be no problem yeah?"

"With magic back, it could be even worse now," another pointed out as he took his.

"With magic back, it could be even worse now," the fourth to draw said darkly.

"Like, vaporize us," the one with glasses muttered. Mr. Clark sneezed as he took one of the lots.

"Let's go home," the last one sighed.

"Guys!" Leroy snapped. "We are the _royal guard_! Dwarves loyal to Snow White! This is our chance to prove ourselves to the prince," he told them. "We must do this. Show your hands." The seven of them opened their hands, revealing that Mr. Clark had the shortest straw.

Lacey moved a bit closer to see just what would happen. The unlucky dwarf sneezed twice in a row, dropping his lot as he tried to cover his nose. Leroy touched him on the shoulder. "You're up, Snotty."

"You know," Mr. Clark started. "What if we found a turtle and sort of nudged it over first?"

"Oh, for the love of…," Leroy griped, shoving his comrade over the line. Magic surrounded the poor dwarf and he went rigid. Lacey almost reached out with her own magic to pull him back. "Sneezy, you okay?" Leroy questioned, holding the others back as they tried to run after their brother. "Sneezy!"

Just as Lacey was about to reach out with magic, the magic surrounding Mr. Clark disappeared. She sighed a little and in a puff of blue smoke went to Town Hall. In the chaos, no one noticed her sudden appearance.

People were putting drawings on the announcement board, looking for their loved ones. Lacey shook her head a bit at the chaos brought on by the curse breaking. She wondered why people were so confused, but then she remembered that not everyone had spent the entire twenty eight years of the curse dealing with two sets of memories.

It appeared that Ruby had things sort of under control, but she walked over to the waitress. She was, after all the acting Sheriff. And as acting Sheriff it was her job to help keep order in town.

"Hey Lacey," Ruby greeted. "Come to help out, Deputy?"

"Well, considering the fact that the Sheriff's missing, I suppose I'm acting sheriff right now," she sighed. "So, what do you have going on?"

"There's a table set up for reuniting families, Dr. Hopper is signing up people for counseling…and the nuns set up the school with cots and an emergency tent right over there," Ruby told her.

"That's good," she replied. "Just try and keep the crowd organized." Ruby nodded in response and went about calling directions to the crowd. She saw the Mother Superior approach Ruby and stepped closer to the pair, not trusting the older woman.

"This is getting out of hand," Mother Superior said with a sigh. "People are in a panic. They don't know what to do."

"It's okay," Ruby assured the woman. "It'll be fine. We just need everyone to remain calm. I have a feeling our prince is working on something right now." Lacey had her doubts about David's ability to lead without Mary Margaret around.

Regina was sitting in her study, trying to figure out a way to get Emma and Mary Margaret back. It was just a matter of time before she managed it. She didn't want to believe that they might have been killed by something left behind in their land. A banging came from the front door of the house. Frowning, she went to the door.

"Tell me…," David demanded the moment the door opened. Just the person she _didn't_ want to deal with at the moment. "About this."

"I'm surprised you don't have armed guards 'round the clock," she noted sarcastically, glancing behind him.

"Don't need them," he said, folding his arms and giving her a confident smirk. She rolled her eyes. "We both know if you step outside, there's a line a mile long for your head."

"Who's going to risk coming at me?" she questioned. She knew that it would only be the very few people in the area with magic that would be willing to even try coming at her. It was just a matter of time before Regina figured out how to use magic in Storybrooke.

"Take your chances then," he snapped. "But, I think that little wallpaper trick was an anomaly. If you had your abilities back, this town would be charcoal by now. You're having problems with magic, _aren't you_? Right now, the only thing keeping you alive is that _Henry_ wishes it," he told her, stepping around her into the foyer. "Now, this," he said, shaking the ruined hat in his hand.

"It's the hat that pulled your loved ones away," she said honestly. _But you're wrong. The reason I'm still alive is because I made a promise to Emma._

"Well, where did you get it?" he questioned.

"It doesn't matter," she sighed. "Another hat can't be made. How's Henry doing?"

"That's not your business."

"He's my _son_!"

"Right, and you took _such_ great care of him."

"I will _not_ listen to child care lectures from a man who put his daughter in a _box_ and shipped her to Maine!"

"Okay, listen," he sighed. "I need my family. There's magic here now. There have to be ways to follow them!"

"If it was _that_ easy to travel between realms—" she broke off. "Look, if it were that easy, I'd already have them back to you."

"Why? Why do you _want_ to help?"

"I…have my reasons," she answered. "How about, instead of harassing me, you try and reign in the chaos of your subjects."

_Then…_

Regina tried to flee the property, hoping against hope that her mother's barrier wasn't up anymore. She urged her horse on as they approached the property line. She was so close to freedom.

"Come on, Rocinante!" she urged. "Go! We're almost free," she said, the rest of the world within her reach. When she was just about to cross the border, branches yanked her from the saddle. Her horse stopped a few feet ahead and turned in reaction to the missing weight. She struggled against the branches uselessly.

Rocinante started plodding down the path, back towards the stable. With a resigned sigh, Regina waited for her mother. There was nothing for it. She would always be a prisoner to her mother's demands and desires.

"And I thought we were done with all this nonsense," Cora greeted. Regina looked to see her mother walking up to her, holding her blasted book.

"Hello, Mother," she snapped. "What evil have you conjured this time?"

"Not evil, darling," Cora chuckled. The sound of her mother's delight made Regina's blood boil. "It's a barrier spell. Designed to keep you where you belong."

"So I can't leave?"

"Not alone," she clarified. "Not without the king. We've been through this. In two days, you'll be married. You'll be queen. After that, you're free to go, whenever you're with him."

"Mama," she started, playing to the side of Cora that must have wanted her cooperation. "I don't want to marry the king. I don't want this life."

"You're just frightened of having all that power."

"I don't want power," she sighed. "I want to be _free_."

"Power _is_ freedom. Don't worry, I'm here to show you," Cora told her as the branches lowered her to the ground. Frustrated, she followed her mother back to the house.

_Now..._

Henry was pacing outside City Hall. It was chaos and his grandfather was nowhere to be seen. Everyone was looking for him and Henry didn't even know where to start looking. He stopped pacing in a moment, seeing David hurrying over.

"Henry," he greeted. Henry perked up immediately, hoping that he'd be able to help calm things down. "Have you seen Blue? I mean, Mother Superior."

"No," he answered. "But everyone is looking for you." Ruby ran over to them.

"Do we know where Rump—Mr. Gold is?" she questioned.

"Wait," Archie said, joining them. "Does the Queen still have power?"

"I thought I would find my boy," Marco commented as he joined the ever growing crowd around David.

"Are the lists complete?" another person asked.

"He's gotta be planning something!" someone at the back of the crowd cried. Henry looked around, barely able to see Lacey pushing her way through the crowd towards them. She was the deputy, so she'd at least be able to help. Especially since the growing crowd seemed to have David about to panic.

"Hey, let me ask you something," Dr. Whale started, pushing himself to the front of the crowd. "Are the nuns still nuns, or can they, you know, _date_?" Fairies didn't date. The question made Henry wonder (not for the first time) who Dr. Whale really was.

"Uh, I don't know," David answered. "Blue!"

"Don't say it's me asking," Whale muttered as the Mother Superior was let through to the front of the crowd. Before the conversations could continue, Lacey made it to Henry's side. She stepped up onto a box that Henry could have sworn wasn't there before.

"Everyone, please give him some space!" she called over the crowd. Henry stared blankly at the box. "Please, step back!"

"Who are you to tell us what to do?!" someone shouted at her. She pulled a gun out of nowhere and lifted it.

"I'm the acting Sheriff right now, and I'm not about to let this town go to hell!" Someone shouted something about her not being a princess in response. "This isn't the Enchanted Forest! Right now, _I'm_ the law! Not the prince or a queen or anyone else. If you want your _leader_ to be able to address you properly, you'll step back!" Finally, the crowd cleared a little.

"Thanks…," David told her. She nodded and stepped off the box. The moment her feet touched the ground, the box vanished. Henry blinked and looked at her. "Could there be a tree on this side?" David asked the Mother Superior. "The way we sent Emma through as a baby…maybe I could go after them that way."

"It's possible," the woman replied. "But without fairy dust to guide us here, uh…no, it's hopeless."

"You'll find another way," Henry encouraged them, deciding to question Lacey about the box and where she'd pulled the gun from later. "In the book, things _always_ look worse right before there's good news."

"Terrible news!" he heard Leroy shout. "Terrible news!" The man's voice got louder as he and the other six 'dwarves' ran into the area. "We were at the town limits…," he started as the group came to a stop near the small group. "Tell 'em who you think you are, Sneezy!"

"Will you stop calling me that?" Mr. Clark sighed. "You know who I am. I'm Tom Clark. I own the Dark Star Pharmacy." He stopped to sneeze. "What's going on here?"

"If you cross the border," Leroy explained. "You lose your memory all over again."

"A-And coming back doesn't fix it?" Archie asked softly.

"If it did, would I have come running in yelling 'terrible news'?!" Leroy demanded. "If we leave, our cursed selves become our _only selves_!"

"Do we know if anyone's gotten out that way?" Ruby asked quietly.

"I wonder if Mom knows," Henry wondered aloud. _This is bad. This is_ really _bad_ , he thought. The people in the area started to panic. "I can help!" he told David, tugging his grandfather's sleeve.

"What do we do?" Leroy asked as David started to leave. Henry followed, Ruby and Leroy hot on his trail. Finally, David turned to face the panicked crowd.

"People! Everybody!" he called. The crowd started to quiet down. "Everybody, meet back here in two hours. I'll tell you my plan to fix everything."

"What's the plan?" Ruby asked as David started walking again. Henry could tell that there _was_ no plan. He glanced back to see Lacey over the crowd, organizing people.

"I don't know, but I've got two hours to figure it out," David sighed. Ruby stopped dead in her tracks and Henry sighed, following after his grandfather. He had a feeling that David didn't even have the town's problems on his mind, only the issue of getting Mary Margaret and Emma back. He paused and turned to find Archie. When he got to him, the man lowered himself to his level.

"Henry, you're not going with David?" Archie asked him.

"I am, but I'm worried about my Mom…I'm starting to think she wasn't trying to curse Emma with that turnover…I mean, if she _was_ trying to curse Emma…she tried to eat a turnover before I could prove to Emma that they were cursed."

"You think she was trying to curse herself?" Archie guessed. "Why would she do that?"

"I don't know, but she's been acting weird for the past month or two…I've gotta help Gramps with whatever he's trying to come up with, but could you check on my mom? I've got this gut feeling that if she's alone too long, she'll hurt herself or something…"

"Of course, Henry."

"Thanks," he said before hurrying to catch up with David.

Regina had to start with figuring out how to use magic. It was the only way she'd be able to get Emma and Mary Margaret back to their family. She didn't even care about getting Henry back, she just wanted his family to be whole again. They'd barely had a few hours together, and it was all her fault they'd been separated again. And once she had Emma and Mary Margaret safe and sound with their family, she'd eat the other poisoned turnover and be done with it.

She turned her attention back to the candle sitting on the table in front of her. Just concentrating on it like she was used to wasn't working, so she extended a hand to the object.

"Come on…," she muttered. The candle flickered to life for a second but didn't light. "Light, damn you," she commanded it. With a frustrated sigh, she stood and went to get some air. She started for her car.

"Regina," Archie called to her as she got to the vehicle. She looked at him. "I thought you might want to talk…"

"Oh, right, the conscience thing," she sighed. She _needed_ to talk to someone, but she didn't want to talk.

"It's what I do," he replied.

"I'm in no mood," she snapped, opening her car door. She needed to find something to give her magic a jumpstart.

"It's too bad, 'cause…," he paused. "'Cause I think talking about your pain might be very helpful. Might help you learn who you truly are."

"I know who I am," she bit. _I'm a villain_ , she added silently. _And after I get Henry's family back together, I'll be out of the way._

_Then…_

Regina was bonding with Snow, braiding flowers into the girl's hair. She could almost blame her mother for what happened with Daniel. She caught her face in the mirror that Snow was admiring her hair with.

"What do you think, Snow?" she questioned lightly.

"It looks beautiful," the girl answered.

"No, dear," she chuckled. " _You_ look beautiful." Snow smiled a little at her and put the mirror down.

"What's this?" Snow questioned, pulling a chain out of the nearby jewelry chest. Regina's jaw clenched as she recognized it: the chain she'd put the ring from Daniel on.

"What?" she managed to return a question politely. "That's mine," she told her as Snow put the chain over her head.

"It's pretty," the girl sighed, turning the ring between her fingers. "Where did you get it?"

"Daniel gave it to me," she answered honestly. "The stable boy," she clarified when Snow looked at her in confusion.

"The one who left you...," Snow sighed.

"He didn't leave me," she snapped.

"What?" the girl whispered the question, turning to face her.

"He was killed," she told her.

"Oh, no...," Snow gasped, fingering the chain around her neck. Regina tucked her fingers under the chain and pulled it back.

"He was killed," she growled, pulling the chain tighter. "Because you couldn't keep a secret from my mother." The chain started digging into Snow's neck.

"But...," Snow gasped, trying to breathe. "But she said...she told me she was going...to...to help you..."

"My _mother_ ," she started. "Corrupts young souls." Snow fell unconscious. "If you were stronger, none of this would've happened," she continued. Soon, the princess stopped breathing.

"It's pretty," Snow said as she pulled the chain over her head, startling Regina from her terrifying vision. "Where did you get it?"

"I...," she started, shaking her head a little. "Don't remember," she lied. After a moment, Snow hugged her and hurried out of the room. With a heavy sigh, Regina went to the apple tree they'd transplanted from their home to the castle courtyard. Her father was in the hall on the way. She walked over to him and hugged him.

He smiled a little and they walked to the courtyard. "Daddy, you don't know what Mother's doing to me," she said quietly as they walked. "It's like she's turning me into her. I have to get away."

"Get away?" he questioned. "But tomorrow's the wedding, child."

"I don't want to marry the king," she told him again, her voice breaking a little. "I've told you that."

"Are you certain it isn't just cold feet?"

"Daddy, this is _not_ cold feet," she snapped. "This...this is...this insanity! I'm angry _all the time_. She's making me crazy."

"She wants to give you everything she never got for herself," he assured her.

"I don't _want_ her life," she told him, tears flowing freely. "I want a life of my own. How did she get like this?"

"There...was a man. Well, not quite a man," he sighed. "Someone Cora knew before I met her. He brought magic to her. Gave her that book of spells. He made her like she is."

"What was his name?" she questioned, thinking perhaps this man could at least help her get away from her mother. She hated the idea of using magic, but it was going to be the only way she could protect herself.

"I don't know," he replied. "Cora won't even say it."

"But the book is... _his_?" He nodded a little and she started to think of a plan.

_Now..._

Mr. Gold stepped into his shop and blinked at the scene. Regina was digging through the books in the showroom. What was she looking for?

"The library's beneath the clock tower," he said lightly, startling the woman. "You closed it, remember? When you still had power."

"I need the book," she snapped as she stood up straight. Looking at her, he noticed that she looked as if she hadn't slept in days. "I need to--" she cut herself off.

"Get your son back?" he guessed. "Which book, though?" he questioned when she remained silent. "So it's come down to that, eh? You need your _mommy's help_."

"Give me the book," she demanded, her jaw clenched.

"Do you _really_ need the smell of the written word to get the magic flowing again, love?" he teased. "Maybe if you relaxed, it would just happen."

"I don't have time," she snapped. "It worked once. I know I can do it. I just...I just need a shortcut back."

"Yeah, well, I don't have time either. Leave. Please."

"Well, how about that? Your _pleases_ have lost their punch," she snapped. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, the fact remains that jump-starting your magic is not in my best interests," he told her. Regina made a face and leaned on the counter.

"I have to get them back. I wouldn't expect you to understand, though. Clearly you've never been in love," she whispered the last sentence and it struck a chord. She was in love? Gold sighed heavily and conjured the book. He offered it to her and she started to snatch it from him.

"Careful, dearie," he warned as she took the book. "These are straight-up spells. Rough on the system."

"I don't care if they turn me green," she snapped, practically cradling the book against her chest. "I'm getting them back."

"Oh, my," he chuckled, amused by her comment about being green. Oh, if only she knew what would turn someone green. Regina paused as she turned to the door.

" _What_?" she growled, looking over her shoulder at him.

"It's just, holding that...," he started. "I told you once that you didn't look like her, but now...," he paused to give an impish smirk. "Now, I can see it." The woman's nose scrunched a bit and for a brief moment, he could see terror on her face. With an indignant grunt, Regina left the pawnshop.

With a smirk, Gold started going through a few things, picking out treasures. Outside of Storybrooke, the substantial amount of money he received from the curse would probably be no good.

_Then..._

Regina snuck into her parents' bedchamber and tiptoed across the room to her mother's side of the bed. She knew that her mother took potions to help her sleep, and that the woman put those same potions into Regina's evening tea (she'd managed to convince Cora that she'd consumed the tea, when she hadn't).

She found the book, safely tucked under the edge of Cora's pillows. She intended to return it before morning, but just in case, she put a similar book in its place. She then slipped up to her own room and locked the door. In the lamplight of her room, she lifted the book and looked for a name. The name _Rumplestiltskin_ was written neatly just inside the cover.

Regina took a deep breath to keep herself from backing out of this. She wasn't entirely sure how to pronounce the name, but she was sure she could manage. This was the only option she could see to save herself from her mother.

"Rumplesh...," she paused, sure that she'd started it wrong. "Stilts...," she sighed heavily. "Rumpleschtiltskin," she managed to get the name out, but it sounded wrong. She hoped it would get the summons across anyways. "I summon thee."

"That's _not_ how you say it, dearie," a male voice trilled behind her. "But then..." Startled, she turned to face the man. "You didn't have to say anything."

"What are you?" was all she could think to ask as she looked him over. He _looked_ like a man, but his skin was rough and gold looking, his eyes more animal in appearance than human.

"What?" he gasped indignantly. "What? What?" he repeated the word, as if he was insulted. "My, my, what a _rude_ question~," he trilled. " _I_ am not a _what_."

"Sorry," she apologized quickly. "I...don't really know what I'm doing..." She put the book down on a table, uncomfortable holding it longer than she needed to.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said, as if all was forgiven. "Rumplestiltskin," he gave his name properly with a deep, embellished bow. Automatically, Regina took the skirts of her shift and started to curtsy.

"And I'm--"

"Regina," he cut her off, holding up a hand. "I know." Startled, she looked at him again.

"You do?"

"But of course."

"Because of my mother, Cora," she guessed. "You taught her?"

"My legend precedes me."

"People say I look like her when she was younger," she said, honestly hoping he would argue the statement. If there was anything Regina feared more than the idea of using magic, it was being compared to her mother.

"Really?" he questioned, looking her over. He stepped towards her as if to start circling her. She automatically lifted her chin. "I don't see it," he said after a moment. She almost sighed in relief. "No, that's not how I know you."

"Oh," she said, barely masking her relief at his statement. "How, then?"

"I knew you long ago, dearie," he stated. "It's been some time, but I knew this day would come. I've been waiting for it. And I'm so happy we're back where we belong."

"Where's that?" she questioned, confused. He leaned closer to her.

" _Together_."

_Now..._

Henry watched his grandfather attempt to practice a speech in front of a mirror in the master bedroom of the house. Henry was sitting on the bed, looking through the storybook to see if it had an answer for him. David stopped short after stumbling through a sentence.

"No," Henry said. "Keep going. You were onto something," he told him.

"No, I wasn't," the man said dejectedly, sitting down at the vanity. "I did the fighting. Snow did the talking." He reached and picked up a tattered and crushed hat, turning it in his hands. Henry blinked and put the book down. He crawled off the bed.

"Can I see that?" he asked, stepping over.

"Yeah," his grandfather answered, handing it over.

"I think I know what this is...," he muttered, turning the hat over in his hand. He put the hat down on the bed and reached to grab the book. "It's the Mad Hatter's hat," he said, a bit louder, flipping through the book. "It's a portal between worlds."

"Mad Hatter...," David muttered, seeming to recognize the title. Henry looked at him. If they could find the Hatter, they might be able to get another hat that would work to get Emma and Mary Margaret back.

"You've heard of him?"

"No," he answered. "I mean, yeah," he corrected himself. "I mean, the prince-me doesn't know him, but David had memories of reading _Alice in Wonderland_ in school. I need to get it to work again. Who is he? I mean, who is he here?"

"I don't know...," Henry admitted. "Maybe he'll check in at the crisis center. You could check after the thing." David stood and picked up the hat.

"What thing?"

"The meeting where you tell us all your plan?" he ended the statement as a question, sure that David was so distracted by the task of getting the two women back to safety that he'd forgotten about the meeting. "Remember, the speech you were practicing?"

"Right...," the man muttered. "I'll be back for that."

"Gramps, you gotta use me," he said quickly. David started for the door with the hat in hand. "Come on!" he raised his voice, following him. "The curse was broken 'cause of me! Let me help!" He followed David to the front door, but it was shut in his face. "Or not...," he sighed.

Grumbling, Henry pulled out his cell phone and called Neal. He knew that his moms didn't trust his father, but he was the safest option to try and get some help from at the moment.

David went to Gold's shop, figuring that if the man had helped him find Snow in the Enchanted Forest, he could somehow help find this 'Mad Hatter'. The sign on the door read 'closed', but he was looking for a more magical solution to his problems than a run of the mill pawnshop purchase. He went into the building.

"It appears that when I bought that 'closed' sign," Gold muttered sourly, pausing in packing things into a suitcase. "I was just throwing my money away."

"Looks like it," he agreed, barely pausing to wonder what the suitcase was for.

"Sorry to hear about your wife and daughter. If you're looking for a retrieval, I'm afraid portal-jumping is _just_ outside my purview."

"Of course it is," he snapped.

"So, what's the commotion outside?" Gold questioned, clearly trying to change the subject.

"A little stir at the border," he answered lightly. "A problem crossing the line." Gold's expression shifted a little at that, showing genuine concern.

"Do tell."

"Actually, I'm here to buy something...," David said instead, hoping to draw the conversation back to his intentions. "A way to find someone."

"What, like a map?" Gold quipped.

"Something with a bit more kick. Like the spell you gave me to find Snow."

"Oh, yeah. _Magic_. Whom are you following?"

"Not telling," he said, smirking.

"So do you have something of theirs, this missing person?"

"Yes."

"May I see it?"

"No." Clearly, Gold understood what he was doing. David didn't trust him. After the Wraith fiasco, David wouldn't have put it past Gold to do something to the Hatter. With a chuckle, the older man pulled out a case and opened it. After a moment of browsing through the items in the case, Gold pulled out a vial of potion and held it out.

"Pour this on the object and then follow it," the pawnbroker explained. "So simple, even _David Nolan_ could do it."

"What do you want?" David asked, reaching for the vial.

"Peace," was the simple answer. "Leave me alone."

"What do _you_ care what David Nolan does?" he quipped.

"No, no. It's... _Charming_ I worry about. I'd like a little...non-interference guarantee."

"Fine," he agreed after a moment. It wasn't an unreasonable price. " _If_ you give me the same. You and I...we stay out of each others way."

"Thank you for your business," Gold said lightly, handing over the potion. David turned to leave. "So uh...what happens—when you try and cross the border?"

"You lose your memory of everything of our old lives," he answered, resting his hand on the knob of the door and pulling it open. "Looks like we're stuck here."

Gold watched David leave and the moment the door was closed, he threw his suitcase to the floor.

_Then..._

Rumplestiltskin was purely giddy. He'd been waiting for poor Regina to be ready to start preparing to cast his curse. She just had to be moulded properly into the sort of person that would be willing to _kill_ someone she loved.

"Oh, yes, I know everything about you, my dear. I held you in my arms," he told her. "You were younger, more... _portable_. There is much history between your family and me...history both in the past and in the future."

"Then can you help me?" she asked eagerly.

"Possibly, yes," he said vaguely. "You seek power?" he mentioned the first thing Cora had sought from him. "The death of your enemies? The death of...your _friends_?"

"No," she said quickly. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Hard to believe you're from the same _family_ ," he sighed. This would be harder than he thought. "So kind, so gentle...," he trailed off, stepping towards her. "So...ooh!" he gasped, sensing something from her. "Powerful. You could do so much if you just let yourself."

"But I don't know how," she argued, a tinge of fear in her voice. Cora had her afraid of magic. _That_ was a problem.

"Well...let me show you the way," he offered, conjuring a large mirror behind himself.

"How did...," she trailed off, shocked.

"Magic," he said lightly. "It can _set you free_."

"I don't want to do that," she argued. "Use magic...that's what _she_ does. I don't want to end up like her." Yes, the poor teenager was afraid of magic, probably as afraid of it as he was of magic beans. Cora had _traumatized_ her.

"No, no," he said lightly. "Of _course_ not, but that's the beauty of my gift." He gestured to the covered mirror. "You don't have to. _It_ will do it for you."

"What is it?"

"A portal," he said flippantly. He needed a portal, but mirrors were tricky, and useless. "A passage between lands. This is a portal to a specific... _annoying_ little world. Useless to me, but for your purposes, ah... _perfect_. You're unlikely to ever see her again," he continued. Regina took the bait, looking eager. "The question is...can...you...do it?" He made a pushing motion.

_Now..._

David put the hat on the hood of his truck and opened the vial of potion. With a heavy sigh, he sprinkled the mixture onto the hat. For a good minute or more, nothing happened. He almost threw the empty vial in frustration. Suddenly, the hat shook a little and lifted into the air. There wasn't any wind to move it, so the potion was clearly working.

It started flying and David hurried after it. It led him around a few corners and then fluttered to a stop on top of an overturned car. Feeling a little hopeless, he kicked the hat away from the car. It skittered along the ground back to the car.

"Hey!" he heard a muffled voice. "Hey!" A pounding sound came from the car. "Hey! Hey!" David looked into the intact driver's side window and saw that there was a man trapped inside.

With a bit of effort, he managed to get the window busted open and helped the man out of the car. "Oh, thank you," the man said. "No one heard me."

"You okay?" he questioned, checking for injuries. The man nodded a little. "Good. That means we can talk." He clapped the man on the shoulder.

Henry paced the space in front of the charred fence, holding his phone to his ear. Ruby and Lacey were trying to keep the crowd calm. Granny Lucas was pacing the back of the chamber room with a crossbow in hand. This was the third time he'd called David's phone, but he wasn't answering.

"Come on, Gramps...pick up," he muttered, trying to call again. "Come on. Come on."

"Please, everyone, just be patient," Lacey told the crowd.

"I'm sure he's gonna be here any second," Ruby added. "Granny, do you really need that?" she asked as Granny walked up the aisle.

"We got a lawless town, Ruby," the older woman snapped. "Damn right I need it." Henry sighed and tried calling again.

"Try calling him again," Neal encouraged as Henry sat dejectedly beside him.

"He's not picking up."

"Just keep trying." He nodded and tried again.

Regina sighed heavily as she headed to the library. Lacey French was blocking the door, her hand resting on a gun clipped to her belt. The acting sheriff had a hard look on her face and a frightening air about her.

"What are you doing, Regina?"

"I need to find a way to get back to our land," she answered honestly.

"You're not looking to get your son back?"

"No, he's fine with his grandfather. I need to get Emma and Mary Margaret back to safety."

"Safety? They're not safe in our land?"

"I don't think so. There aren't any people left there."

"Ogres..."

"Yes," Regina sighed. Lacey nodded a little and opened the door. Regina went inside.

"There are books on magic in the back sections behind a false wall. Find _Beauty and the Beast_ ," Lacey told her. Regina nodded and went to find the book. She found it fairly easily. The problem came when she was presented with more than a dozen hidden shelves full of books on various types of magic.

Henry and Neal went looking for David just as Lacey came back to the council room. He knew that Ruby and Lacey were going to try and keep the crowd calm while they searched. The pair found David running from Granny's after a man. So he'd found the Mad Hatter.

"Gramps, stop!" Henry called as Neal ran to block his path.

"Get out of my way!"

"It can wait," Neal said.

"He has the way!"

"Gramps, people are panicking!" Before David could say anything, a police siren cut through the air. The three of them turned to see Lacey driving up in the cruiser. She pulled up to them and rolled the window down. Ruby leaned over from the passenger seat.

"Everyone's in a panic!"

"We tried to calm things when you missed the meeting," Lacey added.

"But no one would listen to us, they were too freaked out. Everyone's trying to _leave_!"

"I have to get Emma and Snow back..."

"Back to _what_?!" Henry demanded.

"This town is about to come apart," Ruby added. "You've got to _do_ something."

_Then…_

Regina hated the dress. She didn't even feel that it looked good on her. She liked the first dress they'd done for her better. That one at least looked good. But somehow that dress had gone missing.

"What's this?" Cora questioned, prompting Regina to turn to face her mother. Cora was indicating the covered 'gift' from Rumplestiltskin. Her skirts were heavy and pressed into her hip as she moved.

"I don't know," she sighed. "A gift, maybe?"

"Maybe it's a portrait," the woman said lightly, pulling the cloth cover from the large portal. "Oh, a looking glass. Not nearly as personal. I wonder sometimes if the people really love you."

"I'm doing my best, Mother," she snapped, trying to fix her skirts to make them less uncomfortable. It wouldn't have surprised her if Cora had been the one to take the more comfortable dress.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry," the woman said, turning back to face her. "Come here." She held her arms out and Regina stepped towards her, barely managing not to show her discomfort. "Look at you, with your whole life ahead of you, and it's going to be better than you can imagine."

Cora reached to adjust Regina's skirts, pushing it into her hips. She winced a little, feeling the wire digging through her shift and to her skin. "The king's not a strong man," her mother continued. "The kingdom will be yours. Raise the tributes, form a personal guard, let everyone know where the new power lies, and you'll hold the hearts of your people in your hands."

"Is that what you would do, Mother?" she asked, stepping away from Cora. She tried to pull her skirts out of her hips, though unsuccessfully.

"That's… _exactly_ what I would do," was her reply.

"Well…," Regina sighed heavily, turning to look at her mother. "The thing is…I don't want to be you." _There, I said it_ , she thought triumphantly, feeling brave enough to try and push her mother into the portal. She started towards her mother to push her, but Cora stopped her with magic.

"What are you doing?" Cora asked sharply. Regina struggled against the magic holding her in place. "You think it's that easy to get rid of me? You're stuck with me forever, darling, because I'm your mother, and I know best."

Her jaw clenched and she struggled harder. She saw Rumplestiltskin appear in the mirror, making pushing motions. It took everything she had, but she pulled her arms up and suddenly an invisible blast came from her hands and Cora flew into the glass. The moment she was through the portal, the glass shattered.

Regina stared in horror at her hands. _What have I done…?_

_Now…_

Henry and Neal rode in the back of the police cruiser with Lacey and Ruby as they went to the town line. Cars were lined up on the road. Lacey had the sirens blaring as they drove around the traffic. Henry looked behind them to see David driving behind them in his truck.

They stopped just inside the town line, blocking the line of traffic. David pulled over alongside them.

"Get out of the way!" someone shouted as they all got out of the vehicles. Henry could see as he walked around the cruiser that it was Archie, of all people. "We have a right to go!"

"Listen to me!" David shouted, climbing up into the bed of his truck. "Listen. If you cross that line, you're gonna be lost. Everyone who loves you will lose you. But there's something worse. You'll lose yourself."

Henry grinned, seeing the crowd gather and actually listen. "Look, I get wanting to leave here. I do. And I get that it's easier to let go of bad memories," David continued. "But…even bad memories are part of us. David, Storybrooke David was… _is_ …weak…confused…and he almost hurt the woman I love. I wouldn't give up being Charming just to be him. But you know what? I wouldn't make the other trade either, because that David reminds me…not only of whom I lost…but of who I want to _be_."

People began to calm down. "My weaknesses and my strengths," he continued. Henry leaned against his father. "David _and_ the prince. I _am_ both…just like you. _You_ are both. The _town_ is both. _We_ are both. Stay here, and every choice is open to you. Live in the woods if you want. Hell, live in a shoe if you want. Or eat frozen burritos and write software."

He motioned to the crowd. "Let's open Granny's and the school and get back to work. I _will_ protect you. She won't be able to hurt any of us, not as long as I'm alive. Not as long as we all come together…as we did _before_ …and as we shall do again."

_Then…_

Rumplestiltskin watched as Regina rode her horse to the edge of the property. That was disappointing. He waited until the girl was almost to the property line. He dropped from a tree in front of her.

"Leaving, are we?" he questioned as she pulled her horse to a stop.

"That was always the plan," she said lightly, dismounting. "Here," she sighed, holding out the spell book. "A gift. I don't want it."

"Uh, can't be a gift," he pointed out. "It was mine to start with. Before you go…answer me this: how did it feel?"

"I love my mother," she answered weakly.

"That's not what I asked, dearie. How did it feel to use _magic_?"

"It doesn't matter," she snapped. "I'll never use it again."

"Why not?"

"Because…I _loved_ it," she muttered, though there was a glimmer of fear in her eyes.

"You've discovered who you are," he giggled. "You could do so much now…," he stepped towards her. "If you let me show you how~," he added in a singsong voice.

"Through magic."

"Through many things," he corrected.

"And what do you get out of it?" she questioned.

"Someday…you'll do something for me. Let me guide you."

"And I won't become like her…?" Tears were in the girl's eyes.

"That, dearie…is entirely up…to you," he answered, touching her shoulder.

_Now…_

Regina was frantically trying to find just the right book to help with the situation. So far, she was coming up blank. The wall hiding the alcove slid open, startling her. The mayor looked up from her book to see Lacey coming into the space.

"Sorry to startle you," the woman sighed. "Any luck?"

"No…," she groaned, putting the book down. "I've barely made a dent."

"Then, I'll help."

"You don't have to. I'm sure…after what I put you through you want nothing to do with me."

"Unlike the fairies, I help people with true love even if it doesn't benefit me."

"You have issues with the fairies? Someone as…nice as you?"

"You'd be surprised," Lacey sighed, picking up a book.

"And what do you mean…true love?"

"I see the way you and Emma look at each other," the woman noted, opening the book in her hand. Regina picked up another book, contemplating the comment.

 _She's a surprising woman, this Lacey_ , she thought, understanding why Rumplestiltskin had fallen for her.

_There..._

Emma tried to keep up with the horses as the two strangers pulled her and Mary Margaret along. If she had to guess, these people had somehow been safe from Regina's curse, since they were supposed to be in the Enchanted Forest. She'd expected a fairy tale world to be more whimsical, but she also hadn't expected there to be people on the other side of the portal.

Her feet were starting to feel blistered, her legs sore from all the walking. She glanced at Mary Margaret to see that the other woman seemed fine. In fact, Mary Margaret almost seemed like a different person, her eyes darting around and her expression hard.

 _Of course_ , she thought. _She spent years out in the woods without a car or anything._

"What is this place?" Mary Margaret asked as they came to a foot bridge. Emma looked ahead to see a village on the other side of the bridge.

"Our home," one of their captors answered as the group crossed. The two women dismounted from their horses and the stronger one pulled Emma and her mother along. People stopped what they were doing to stare at them.

"It's like they're refugees," Emma noted, seeing how poor the conditions were. It looked like those photos of poor villages in Africa that rich people wanted everyone to donate to instead of taking care of homeless in their own country.

"We're survivors," the stronger one corrected. The princess (at least, Emma assumed she was a princess with the tiara she was wearing) suddenly shouted in pain. Mary Margaret had kneed the woman in the stomach.

"Emma, run!" she shouted when the other woman dropped the ropes to check on her companion. They ran together, but a rock hit Mary Margaret in the head, causing the woman to drop.

"Mary Margaret!" Emma shouted, dropping to make sure that she was okay. "Mary Margaret!" She shook her mother's shoulder, but got no response. She looked for the source of the blow. "What did you do?!"

"Take them to the pit," the stronger woman snapped.

"No," Emma argued, struggling against the men that started to pull her to her feet. They hadn't done anything wrong. The men dragged her to a cellar-like door and shoved her inside. Another pair of men threw Mary Margaret in behind her.

Frustrated, Emma shouted at them to be careful. They ignored her and locked them in. Growling, she turned her attention to her mother. "Come on...wake up," she muttered, shaking Mary Margaret's shoulders gently. "Hey, can you hear me?"

"Do you need help?" a woman's voice asked from the shadows. Startled, Emma rounded on her.

"Who are you?"

"A friend," was the answer as the woman stepped into the light. Something seemed familiar about her. "My name's Cora." Somehow, the name left a sour taste in Emma's mouth.


	3. Lady of the Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary Margaret shows Emma their old castle in search of a portal to return them to Storybrooke, while Regina joins the search for the pair and Henry does his own research. In the past, in the midst of trying to reclaim their kingdoms, Snow is cursed.

_Then..._

Snow White was standing at a table laden with battle strategies and army markers. She and Charming were discussing with their 'generals' possible plans of attack. James pointed to a position on the map.

"King George's men are here, on this Ridge," he started.

"We have to move camp," Red said, barging into the tent. "They're coming for us."

"No! We will not run," James argued. "We said we were going to take the kingdom back, and we can't do that with our tails between our legs," he snapped. "No offense," he added after receiving a sharp glare from Red.

"But matters have worsened," Red argued. "The King has a new general."

"Who is he?" Snow asked.

"They call him the Leviathan. They say he attacks like a monster striking from the depths of the sea. You never see him coming, and you never survive."

"We'll see about that," James growled.

"How close is his army?" Snow questioned, considering Red's words. Until they knew for certain the man's true prowess in battle, they didn't need to risk it. An arrow struck the table inches away from Snow's hand.

"I'd say pretty close," James snapped.

"We should split up, divide them," she suggested.

"Exactly," he agreed. "Go. Go." He pushed her away from the coming battle.

"Aren't you coming?"

"He's after me," he reminded her. "You'll have a better chance of escaping on your own." She started to argue, but he stopped her with a kiss. "Don't worry. Meet me in two days' time at the cabin."

"The cabin?" she questioned. "Where _she_ is? Are you sure?"

"We're engaged," he answered with a shrug. "I think it's about time you met my mother." She smiled a little. "Go!" She nodded and ran off. It wasn't long before something tripped her. Snow fell with a shout and barely caught herself. She looked up at her assailant, a large man dressed in armour, a mask hiding his face.

"What kind of general hides behind a mask?" she bit, knowing he was the general because of the unusual uniform. "Who are you really, Leviathan?"

"Leviathan?" he questioned in return, his voice unusually kind. " _That's_ what they're calling me?" He removed the mask and tucked it under his arm. "The name's Lancelot."

"Lancelot? Of the round table?"

"Not anymore," he answered simply, pulling her to her feet.

_There..._

Emma watched anxiously as Cora tended Mary Margaret's head wound. She had a bad feeling about this woman, but she didn't really have a choice, not knowing how to tend her mother's wounds herself. Maybe Mary Margaret would know her.

"You sure she's gonna be okay?" she questioned, resisting biting her fingernails.

"Don't worry," Cora answered. "She'll be fine."

"What is this place?" she asked when Cora backed away from Mary Margaret. "Where are we?"

"It's a little island our captors like to think of as their haven," was Cora's answer. Her tone made Emma worried.

"Haven? From what?"

"The world's dangerous. What's left of it, anyway."

"Well, they can't keep us down here. We didn't do anything wrong." _But then again, they probably have laws here I'm not used to._

"Neither did I," Cora said lightly and Emma could tell she was lying.

"Then why are you here?" she questioned instead of saying something about the lie. Depending on the answer, Emma could gauge how dangerous Cora really was.

"I'm here because of something...my daughter did," was the reply. "The curse that ravaged this land...she cast it."

"Regina," she muttered, a pain in her heart spreading. " _You're_ Regina's mother?"

"Yes," Cora sighed. Emma's heart jumped into her throat. As bad as Regina was, there was no telling how horrible her _mother_ could be. "But you've nothing to fear from me. The apple fell very far from the tree," she lied. Emma's eyes narrowed a little. "You're from over there, aren't you? How'd you get back?"

"Emma," Mary Margaret snapped, getting up and moving between Emma and the older woman. "No."

"Oh, Snow," Cora said, her voice sickly sweet. "You're awake. I'm so relieved." Mary Margaret turned to face Emma, her face contorted in rage.

"As bad as you think Regina is, this woman is _worse_ ," she growled.

"Oh, Snow. Sweet Snow, please," Cora started, still using that sickly sweet tone.

"Believe me, whatever she told you isn't true," Mary Margaret argued. Emma nodded a little, knowing very well that everything coming from that woman's mouth was a lie.

"I just want to help you."

"Let's hear her out," Emma sighed, hoping to get something else out of Cora: A way back.

"Emma..."

"Okay, right now, we are at the bottom of a hole with no other options," she rationalized. "And Regina is back in Storybrooke with angry mobs."

"Angry mobs?" Cora questioned, a strange glint in her eyes.

"Yeah, angry mobs," she snapped, ready to blame Cora for all the trouble. She didn't like jumping to conclusions, but she just got that feeling from Cora that she was horrible news.

"Don't talk to her," Mary Margaret hissed. A rope dropped between them before Emma could say anything else.

"Enough!" a man called. "Our leader requests an audience." Emma exchanged a look with her mother and they climbed up the rope.

_Now..._

Henry walked with David towards the school bus, keeping an eye out for Neal. He knew he should go to school, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to focus until Emma and Snow were back. So he'd already talked to Neal about helping him out with research.

"So, what's on the agenda for Operation Scorpion?" he asked his grandfather.

"What's Operation Scorpion?"

"The code name for our mission to find Emma and Snow," he answered. It should have been obvious. "Do you prefer Viper? That was my second choice."

"Henry, we need to talk," David sighed.

"Yeah, Scorpion's better," he shrugged.

"No, it's not that. It's..."

"I'm not coming with you," he guessed. "But I...I thought we were gonna find Jefferson."

"I already did."

"What? Is he gonna help us?"

"No. No, Henry, he's not," David sighed.

"But why didn't you tell me you talked to him?"

"Because I didn't want to disappoint you," was the answer. "I know you want to find your mom, but Jefferson can't help us. I need to find a way to restore the hat."

"So why can't I help you look?" Henry insisted.

"It'll require magic, Henry, and magic--"

"Always comes with a price," he interrupted. "I read the book, you know."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't let you anywhere near this stuff. If you really want to help me, you'll go to school, where I know you'll be safe. Okay?"

"Okay," he agreed. David left him at the bus stop and Henry pulled out his radio when his grandfather was out of sight. "Operation Scorpion is go."

"Meet at Geppetto's," Neal answered. Henry grinned and headed to the toymaker's shop.

_There…_

Emma sighed heavily as Mary Margaret scolded her. It was one thing to be scolded by a mother as a kid, but Emma was coming up on twenty-nine years old. To make matters worse, they were captives in a hostile environment and they were physically about the same age.

"Why can't you just listen to me?" Mary Margaret growled.

"Why couldn't you have trusted me?" she snapped in return. "I was just trying to find a way to get us home. I could've handled her."

"Cora? Don't be so sure. I've lived here, Emma," her mother sighed. "I know this world and its dangers."

"Wait here," the man leading them said as they approached a large hut. The two stopped walking and he went inside.

"Is that why you came through the portal?" Emma asked bitterly. "Because you thought I was helpless here?"

"No," she answered. "I came to be with you." A large man came out of the hut and Mary Margaret gaped at him. "Lancelot?"

"Snow," he replied, smiling broadly. Something felt off to Emma, but she didn't  want to argue with her mother anymore when they'd just been reunited officially. She _did_ acknowledge that Mary Margaret knew more about this place, but she also knew that things were obviously different now than they were before the curse.

Mary Margaret and Lancelot hugged. "If I'd have known that you were the prisoners Mulan had brought back, I never would've locked you away," he told them when the pair broke apart. "Please forgive me."

"Of course," Mary Margaret agreed.

"Lancelot?" Emma questioned. "Really?" So apparently even King Arthur existed in the Enchanted Forest.

"He's an old friend," her mother explained. "We can trust him. This is Emma." Emma glanced around and saw the two that had brought them to this village, Mulan and the princess, arguing about something. Clearly something had happened between them, that probably had something to do with Emma and her mother.

Before she knew it, they were sitting at a dinner table with a load of unfamiliar foods on it. At least the dinnerware was familiar.

"What the hell is that?" she asked as someone brought some sort of mystery meat thing to the table.

"That is chimera," Lancelot answered. "An acquired taste, but all our hunting party could bring back. One part lion, one part serpent, one part goat."

"Like turducken?" she questioned. She didn't really want to try it, but she was hungry.

"I don't understand," Mary Margaret sighed, changing the subject. "We were told this land didn't even exist anymore. How did you all escape the curse?"

"It is a mystery," he answered stiffly. Emma stared at him. "The curse struck, and when the smoke cleared, most of us had been torn from this land." Emma started to really wonder if this guy could be trusted, since every part of her body was screaming at her to flee. "We don't know how and we don't know why," his tone started to get less stiff, as if he realized that she could tell he was lying.

Emma's eyes narrowed a little. "Finding this safe haven wasn't easy," he continued. "It took some spilt blood. But worry not. You're safe here."

"We can't stay," Mary Margaret sighed. "My husband's back there, Emma's son, my grandson...we have to get back to them. Can you help us find a portal?"

"Leaving is unwise," Lancelot argued. "The Enchanted Forest is not as you remember it. The ogres have returned."

"Ogres?" Emma asked. "Like...as in _fee-fi-fo-fum_?"

"Those would be giants," Mary Margaret corrected.

"Ogres are far worse," Lancelot added. "That's why we live here, on this island, where it's safe. Please, Snow. Stay here. There are no more portals left."

"I might know of one," the woman said after a moment.

"You do?" Emma asked, wondering if it might be the same portal that had taken her to Maine when she was a baby.

"Where?" Lancelot questioned, a little too eagerly.

"Cora's near. I don't feel comfortable voicing my plans. She's powerful…"

"Not anymore," he replied quickly. "The curse stripped her of her powers. But, given her reputation, we've kept her locked up as a precaution."

"Nevertheless, I'm not taking chances," Mary Margaret argued. "Just trust me. I may have a way. Let us go."

"I'll allow it," he relented. "But on one condition...take my bravest warrior with you. Allow Mulan to defend you."

"We can defend ourselves," Emma argued, not really wanting to deal with that woman.

"Deal," Mary Margaret said lightly, ignoring her. "Thank you, Lancelot, for always looking out for me." Emma still had a sour taste in her mouth.

_Then…_

Snow stood straight in front of King George, her expression set in a firm scowl. She knew what was next. He would torture her to get Charming's location.

"I don't care what you do to me," she said sharply. "I will _never_ tell you where he is."

"I know," he replied. "That's not why you're here. Would you bring out guest some water?" he looked at Lancelot, who promptly handed her a glass of water. "Times have been good for you, haven't they?"

She shrugged, absently sipping from the cup. "I can see a light in your eyes," he continued. "Cherish that, because that light can die and be replaced by something else... _pain_."

"The only thing you know of pain, is how to inflict it," she snapped.

"That's where you're so very, very wrong," he argued. "I've had my share of pain. I had a son, that I loved, die before his time. I tried to replace him with your…'Charming', offered him the world, but he rejected me, humiliated me in front of my kingdom, all for the sake of... _true love_."

"Something about which you know nothing," she growled.

"I know more than you think."

" _You_...were in love?" she asked, incredulous. She should have known. Even Regina had once been in love.

"Yes, and she loved _me_. We were happy, blissful, but then she became cursed. She drank a vile potion that made it impossible for us to conceive a child. Family is everything, my dear. Losing all hope of having one...there is no greater misery. Charming could've been that hope for me, but instead, he made my suffering worse," he paused in his monologue and realization started to hit Snow.

He was blaming Charming for things that he couldn't control. "For that, death is too good for him. First, he must know pain... _my_ pain."

"No…," she murmured, staring into the cup of water.

"You poisoned her?" Lancelot gasped.

"I _cursed_ her. She will never bear a child." The cup dropped from Snow's hand as the door to the chamber opened and a pair of guards came into the room.

_There..._

Emma eyed the pile of weapons as Mary Margaret pulled several swords out and checked the balance of them. She'd only used a sword once, and that was really the only weapon besides a gun that she could even name out of the pile.

"Choose wisely," Mulan said. "We must be vigilant if we hope to survive the journey."

"Where's my gun?" Emma sighed. "I want it back." Mulan handed it to her.

"Is it magic?"

"Depends on who's pulling the trigger," she answered, checking the chamber. Since she only had a few shots left, she grabbed a dagger and sword from the pile of weapons. She looked at Mary Margaret to see the woman armed to the teeth with two swords, at least one dagger, and a bow and arrows.

"Follow my lead," Mulan sighed. "Step where I step. Do exactly as I say, and we might survive."

"Thanks for the pep talk, but i think we're okay," she snapped. "I just killed a dragon last week."

"Have you ever seen an ogre?"

"Pretty sure I've dated a few," she muttered sarcastically.

"Legend has it that when they kill you, the last thing you see is yourself dying in the reflection in their eyes. Let's walk. It'll be dark soon." Mulan started walking.

"Don't let her rattle you," Mary Margaret encouraged. "I won't let anything happen to us. Stick to the plan."

"What _is_ the plan?" she questioned as they followed Mulan. "You haven't told me anything. What's going on?"

"The wardrobe."

"Wardrobe?" she muttered. " _The_ wardrobe? Like, _the_ wardrobe that sent little baby me to Maine?" Her mother nodded a little. "You think it could get us back to Storybrooke?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "First, we have to see if it survived the curse, then we'll worry about making it work."

"Where is it?"

"My place. You wanna see where you're from, Emma?" Emma's eyes went wide. "That's right. We're going home."

_Now…_

Regina sighed a little, putting the book she'd been looking through down. It was starting to look hopeless. Feeling defeated, she stood and stretched a little. There was nothing in the library that could get her to the Enchanted Forest to even help Emma. She left the room and slipped out of the library, heading for the cemetery.

Maybe she could find something in her vault that could at least get her a view of what was going on with Emma. Her phone went off and she looked at the caller ID. It was Henry. She smiled a little and answered.

"Hey, Henry…," she said, trying to sound light.

"Mom, where are you?" he asked.

"I'm…just packing up the office," she lied. "I've been asked to leave."

"Oh, well, can you take a break and meet me and my dad for lunch?"

"Of course I can!" she replied, her heart leaping. "Granny's?"

"Sure."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

"See you there."

Smiling, she ended the call and turned around to go to Granny's.

_There…_

Emma sighed a little as she trailed behind the others. Finally, they stopped in a wide open clearing.

 _Wow, the guy that my mother trusts sent us with a woman who's pretty much leading us to our deaths?_ She thought bitterly. She'd always thought that if you were trying to avoid getting eaten or killed by monsters you didn't put yourself in the open.

"This will do," Mulan said after looking around the large clearing. "We just need to find water, collect some firewood."

"Uh," Emma started, getting really worried for their safety. "If we're hiding from ogres, shouldn't we maybe, I don't know… _not_ start a fire?"

"Ogres are blind," Mary Margaret said simply. "They hunt by sound alone."

"Right," she snapped. "Because that's something _everyone_ would know about ogres." _As if my confusing them with giants before wasn't enough of a hint?! The most I know about ogres is from Shrek overload…_

"Look…I know you're out of your element—"

"I'm fine," she snapped, cutting her mother off.

"I know," her mother sighed. "But maybe you should just…stay here while we get wood and water, guard the campsite."

"You mean the big, empty clearing?" Emma asked bitterly, starting to seriously think that Mary Margaret really only came to 'protect her'.

"It's the safest place," was her answer. "We'll be right back."

With a frustrated sigh, Emma sat on the ground and watched as Mulan and Mary Margaret went in different directions. She reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the few non-floral gifts Regina had given her, a compact mirror. She opened it and looked at the reflection, imagining that she could see Regina and Henry in the glass rather than her own face.

Absently, she noticed that she was due for a root touchup, as her roots were starting to show her natural dark brown.

_Then…_

Snow was dumped in the woods after King George finished his little speech. She almost curled into herself where she landed. One of her biggest dreams was to be a mother, and now she couldn't have that without taking in someone else's child. But she had to press on and meet with Charming.

Otherwise, he'd think something had happened to her and put himself in more danger to find her again. So, she stood and dusted herself off as best as she could. After getting her bearings, she started walking in the direction she figured the cabin should be in. As she went, she heard a horse approaching.

She ducked around a tree and climbed up to the lowest branches, watching the path. Lancelot rode up and she saw just the opportunity. Frowning, she swung down from her perch and used the momentum to throw the soldier from his horse. She landed next to him and drew the dagger between her breasts. She crouched over him and put the blade to his throat.

"Wait!" he shouted. "I've come to help."

"After what _you_ did to me?" she ground.

"After what the _King_ did to you," he corrected indignantly. She scoffed. "I still do have a small shred of honour left."

"Do you _really_ think I'm that naïve?" she growled. "You're going to earn my trust so I can lead you straight to—"

"To the cabin where your prince is hiding his mother?" he finished her sentence and her eyes went wide.

"How did you know?"

"Because George knows where it is," he sighed. "He sent men there to kill your man's mother."

"Charming's at the cabin, too…," she muttered, keeping her blade on him. _I don't know if I can trust him, but…_ , she contemplated.

"Well, if you want to help him, you can't do that holding me here," he said sharply.

"Fine," she relented, standing up. "But if I get even a _hint_ that you're about to betray me, you're dead." She sheathed the dagger and helped him to his feet. They mounted the horse and rode to the cabin.

At the same time, Charming was just arriving at his mother's cabin. He hated that she'd had to move, but she seemed to be making the best of it. He spotted his mother working on her garden and smiled.

"Mother," he called to her, catching her attention. She straightened and smiled at him. "The place looks beautiful." He started for the front door, getting a bad feeling. "Will you come inside?"

"I'm sorry if I want things to be perfect when I meet the girl…," she started, putting her hands on her hips. "My son is going to marry." He heard a rustling noise.

"Wait," he muttered, walking towards her. "Did you hear that?" He shook his head and pushed her towards the door. "Go inside and bolt the door. Whatever happens, stay inside," he told her. "Go!" Once she was inside, he drew his sword and hurried to the fence.

There were only half a dozen men emerging from the trees. If he was lucky, that would be all of them. "What? That's it?" he taunted. They went on the attack, and he defended the cabin.

One managed to cut into his side before he subdued them all. He was sure there were still men in hiding, so he held his ground. He heard the door to the cabin open and he glanced back to see his mother step onto the porch.

"Son?" she called, clearly worried. David gasped and turned to tell her to go back inside, but it was too late. A hidden archer loosed a bolt and hit her in the chest.

"Mother!" he shouted. He ran to her, barely managing to catch her as she fell. "Mother, I told you to stay inside!"

"I know, but I heard you…I thought you were hurt," she explained herself, grimacing in pain. "I'm sorry."

"No," he said sharply. "You're gonna be okay. Okay?" He wondered for a second why the attack had stopped, but then he heard the sound of fighting beyond the tree line. _Snow…_ , he thought happily, glad that she wasn't a demure, average princess. "Everything's gonna be okay," he assured his mother.

"I'm so sorry," Snow said as she and a large man came out of the trees. "We came as quickly as we could." The man stayed back, keeping watch on the path, as Snow hurried to David's side. Ruth smiled a little.

"Is _this_ …Snow?" she questioned, her eyes fluttering. He nodded in response, unable to form words.

_There…_

Emma continued looking in the mirror, wishing that it really would show her something other than her own face. The reflection wavered a little and a shaky image of a strange stone room appeared. She blinked in surprise, half expecting the image to disappear, but nothing changed. Regina stepped into view and she almost shouted to her.

 _Don't do that to yourself, Emma_ , she scolded silently. _This is probably just a figment of your imagination_. But the image didn't change. Regina turned to face her and started speaking to her.

There was no sound, but Emma could tell that it wasn't English that Regina was speaking. She figured that somehow she'd managed to catch Regina's reflection in something. Suddenly, Regina stopped talking and blinked.

"Emma?" she heard Regina whisper.

"You can see me?" she whispered. Regina nodded a little. Emma smiled a little. "How's Henry?"

"He's fine. I haven't been—"

"Shush," she cut her off, hearing something at the edge of the clearing. "Something's wrong. Hopefully this plan will work and I'll be home soon." She closed the compact and stood up. She went to investigate and saw that the princess was attacking Mary Margaret.

On instinct, Emma pulled her gun out and fired a warning shot. The three women turned to her in shock.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Mary Margaret gasped. Shaking her head, Emma aimed at Aurora.

"Protecting you," she snapped. "Drop the weapon!" Suddenly, the ground started shaking and Emma remembered what they'd said about ogres hunting by sound. _Damnit…_

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?!" her mother shouted.

"Ogres?" she asked sarcastically. Two giant creatures came out of the trees into the clearing.

"Run!" Mary Margaret shouted. Emma dodged out of the way, drawing her sword.

 _Here's hoping there's some kind of instinct here…_ , she thought bitterly as Mulan pulled Aurora towards the trees. Mary Margaret pulled her towards the other side of the clearing, but she tripped over a log. _So much for instinct…!_

Emma rolled over, pulling her gun out again as the ogre loomed over her. The moment she cocked it, however, the ogre knocked the weapon out of her hand and crushed it.

"Seriously?!" she shouted. _That was the only weapon I have training with damnit!_ She heard a whistle and the ogre turned its head towards the sound. Emma looked over to see Mary Margaret aiming an arrow at it.

"Back away from _my daughter_!" the woman shouted before firing the bolt right into the ogre's eye, felling it. With an almost smug smile, Mary Margaret hung her bow over her back and reached to help Emma up. "You have to shoot them in the eye."

 _Like I'm supposed to know that?_ She thought bitterly as she took the help. "When was the last time you shot an arrow?" she asked.

"Before the curse," was the answer, in a smug tone. "Guess it's like riding a bike."

"Yeah," she snapped. "But how did you know you could hit that?"

"I didn't," Mary Margaret said simply, pulling the arrow out of the ogre's head. "Next time, listen to me," she sighed, cleaning the bolt. "That kind of thing isn't gonna work here."

"Yeah," Emma snapped. _I figured that out_ Mom _…_ , she added silently. Mulan and Aurora emerged from the trees, Mulan holding the princess by the arm.

"We should get going," Mulan sighed. Emma glanced at her ruined gun, but left it on the ground. She sheathed her sword. The other three started walking and Emma trailed behind, pulling the compact out again. She opened it, but the only one staring back at her was herself.

_Then…_

Snow watched anxiously as Lancelot examined Ruth's wound. She felt a little responsible for this, since she'd wasted so much time picking a fight with Lancelot.

"It's poisoned," Lancelot said after a long minute.

"Can we find an antidote?" Charming asked, worried. Snow took his hand and smiled a little to encourage him.

"Or the fairies," she said softly. "They can help us."

"No," Lancelot sighed. "I'm afraid this is gonna take something stronger than fairy dust."

Snow almost suggested Grumpy's mysterious friend, the one who'd given them the magic dagger before, but she wouldn't have had time to find Grumpy, much less get him to get the help. So, she decided not to say anything about that.

"Lake Nostos…," Charming said suddenly. "I've been there before. Its waters have powerful magical properties. I've seen them turn a man from solid gold back into flesh. It isn't far. A day's journey, at most."

"I'll prepare a wagon," Lancelot agreed. Charming and Lancelot set about prepping things and Snow tried to make Ruth as comfortable as she could. It was terrible that she had to meet Ruth like this. And she was starting to wonder if she was somehow cursed from the start to destroy relationships with her potential mother figures.

First she fell for Cora's deception and ruined things for Regina, who could have been a great friend to her even if she hadn't become Snow's stepmother. And now Charming's mother was dying because of her. If she'd gotten there sooner, or even if she'd only agreed to meet with Ruth after this 'war' was done, Charming wouldn't be losing his mother. Maybe it was best that she couldn't be a mother, she kept destroying her own mother figures, after all.

Finally, Charming and Lancelot carefully moved Ruth to the wagon and while they prepared the horses, Snow moved to make her comfortable. Small comfort when she felt that she may as well have fired the shot herself. It wasn't long before they were on the move.

The journey seemed to last forever, and Snow couldn't shake the guilt she felt. Finally, they stopped near a shrine and the men went to scout ahead. She went about silently adjusting the pillows and blankets under and around Ruth as best as she could.

"Thank you," Ruth said softly, startling her.

"Oh," she took a moment to register what she was being thanked for. "It's the least I can do. Are you comfortable?"

" _No_ ," the woman sighed. "You gave my son something to believe in. All he's ever dreamt of was having a wife and a son." Snow felt her face fall. All _she'd_ ever wanted was to marry and be a mother.

The prospect of breaking David's heart with the fact that she'd never be able to conceive made her ache. "Fret not," Ruth continued, assuming that there was a different meaning behind Snow's distress. "It could be a daughter."

She started to say something to argue that there was a different problem. "But trust me," Ruth said before she could bring herself to say what she needed to. "All that matters is that it's healthy. Let me show you something."

The woman reached under her collar and pulled a necklace out. "My mother gave this to me when I was pregnant." Snow helped her pull it off. "She said it was spelled by a gypsy to predict the sex of your firstborn even before you are with child."

"And…," she started. "It _works_?"

"It did with my boys," Ruth answered, holding the necklace up. "If it swings north to south, it's a boy. East to west, it's a girl."

"Hm…," Snow paused, curious about it, but not wanting to get Ruth's hopes up for a grandchild.

"Shall we? Just between us?"

"Oh," she sighed. "I don't…think that's a good idea."

"Indulge an old woman," Ruth insisted, putting the pendant in Snow's hand. "It'll help take my mind off the…well…you know. Here."

Snow sighed and let the amulet hang. As she'd expected, nothing happened, reminding her just how effective George's curse was. She felt her face fall. "Don't worry. It's just…a silly _superstition_ ," Ruth encouraged her. Snow shook her head, knowing that it wasn't working because it couldn't predict the sex of a child she'd never have. "What's wrong, child? You can tell me anything, Snow."

"It's the king," she sighed. "When he captured me, he cursed me. So…so that I can… _never_ have children…"

"Worry not," the woman encouraged, taking her hand. "If the water from Lake Nostos can heal me, it should be able to do the same for you."

"Do you really think so?" she asked, hopeful.

"You are going to be a wonderful mother."

Snow smiled a little, hoping that Ruth was right.

_There…_

Emma fingered the compact in her pocket as the group walked. Aurora was starting to trail behind, so she slowed her own pace to keep the princess company. Even though Aurora had tried to kill Mary Margaret, Emma knew what she was going through. If she didn't have more important things to worry about, including being a good sheriff and mother by not killing for revenge, she would have been planning to murder Gold over the whole Wraith thing.

She saw the girl shiver a little and moved the compact from her jacket to her pants pocket and she started to pull her jacket off.

"Aurora, you've got to keep up!" Mulan called back to them. Mary Margaret looked at Emma, concerned. She smiled a little at her mother to reassure her.

"Sorry," Aurora snapped. "But I'm not exactly _dressed_ for the woods. It's cold out here."

"Then maybe you should've listened to me and stayed back!" the warrior shouted. Emma took her jacket off and offered it to Aurora.

"Here," she sighed.

"But I tried to kill your friend," Aurora argued.

"Actually, she's my mom. And I have a feeling she can take care of herself," she shrugged. "And I get it. Really…" She paused a second, deciding against telling Aurora just how they'd ended up in this situation. "You're not the only one who's been screwing up lately." Aurora nodded a little and took the jacket.

"What kind of corset is this?"

"Up here!" Mulan called, just as Emma was about to explain how to put the jacket on and that it wasn't a corset. The pair hurried to catch up with Mulan and Mary Margaret. Emma looked at the castle over the ridge.

"Is that it?" she asked her mother.

"Yeah," was the reply. "That's our home."

_Then…_

The men came back and they started moving again. Charming stopped short when they came to the edge of the lake. Or rather, what used to be a lake.

"Where's the lake?" Snow questioned, touching his arm.

"You're looking at it," he answered. "It's…gone."

_Now…_

Henry went down to Regina's vault to look for some answers, but he stopped short when he saw Regina. She was staring at a mirror, looking upset. He started to leave, but tripped on a crack in the floor.

"Henry?" she asked, pulling him to his feet gently. "What are you doing down here?"

"I was…gonna look to see if you had something to bring back Emma…"

"I don't," she sighed. "I've looked through everything. Several times over…"

"Why do you care?"

"Because she's your mother. And it's not fair to you that you aren't getting that chance to have a relationship with her."

"You…you've changed," he said, surprised. "What happened?"

"Emma happened. Henry, you should probably go. I have some dangerous things down here…"

"What do you mean, 'Emma happened'?" he questioned.

"It's…hard to explain."

"Don't tell me…you like her?"

"It's more like…I love her," she sighed. Henry's eyes went wide. Of all the things he could have thought of, he definitely wouldn't have thought of this. But it explained a lot.

Like how Regina and Emma acted while Regina was sick before. "And I know you don't believe me, but the sleeping curse wasn't meant for Emma."

"Then who _was_ it meant for?"

"Me," she muttered.

"Why would you curse yourself?"

"So Emma would believe and break the dark curse."

"After everything you put us through…why?"

"I was in a bad place…I still kind of am. Henry, you have to understand…I know what I've done is wrong…and I know you deserve better than me. I only brought you here because I only cared about my own happiness…but in the end I was just acting like my mother and that's the one person I never wanted to be like."

"But why curse yourself?"

"Because I knew it wasn't enough just to apologize. And it felt right that I curse myself after everything I've done."

"Mom…"

"Just go on. I'll do my own research. You work with David and Neal." He nodded and left the vault. He had a lot to think about now.

_Then…_

Snow stared in shock at the dry lake. There went any hope for Ruth's life or even for a cure for herself. She moved to Ruth's side and took the woman's hand.

"This is my fault," Charming sighed. "The siren that lived here…I killed her. That's why the lake is dry."

"You needn't worry," Lancelot encouraged. "My mother raised me by a lake. There may yet be water. You just…need to know where to look." The two men started searching the lake bed and Snow and Ruth watched anxiously.

Snow saw Lancelot crouch and pick something up after a few minutes. She squeezed Ruth's hand a little and gave the woman an encouraging look. The woman smiled back at her. Lancelot waved Charming back to the wagon.

"You found it?" Charming asked as the two men returned.

"It's all that's left," Lancelot answered. "Just enough for one sip…"

"Enough to heal my mother…"

"We shall find out."

"I want you to have it," Ruth whispered before the two men started towards them. "The last sip of water…I want you to drink it."

"No," she argued. "No, I couldn't."

"That water can lift your curse, and allow you and my son to have a child," the other insisted.

"But you'll die. I won't let you give your life for this."

"That's what parents do. They put their children first. Someday you will understand."

"No," she argued. "Maybe it's for the best. I was raised without a mother…I wouldn't even know how to be one. This water was meant for you."

"Mother!" Charming called as he hurried to them. "Mother, our prayers are answered. There is magic in this lake yet. Here," he offered the shell to Ruth. "Drink." Ruth smiled a little and drank the water.

"Have faith, Snow," she whispered when Charming stepped back. "We'll find another way."

_There…_

Emma stared almost blankly at the castle in front of them. It was just like the pictures in Henry's book. The sight made her wonder how the book even came into being and who wrote it, but she had more important things to worry about.

Mary Margaret took her hand and led her inside. Mulan and Aurora stayed at the gate to keep watch. She wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. As they walked through the castle, Emma started to realize just what she'd missed out on…and what her parents had sacrificed for her.

"I never thought I'd see this place again…," Mary Margaret sighed as they entered the nursery. "This room…it was your nursery."

"I _lived_ here?" she asked, walking to the crib.

"You never even got to spend a night," her mother said softly, touching a rocking horse. "This is the life I wanted you to have. I was going to teach you how to walk in here…how to talk…," she continued, picking up a stuffed bear. "How to dress for your first ball…but, you never got to do any of it. We never got to be a family."

"We have a family…," Emma sighed, touching Mary Margaret's arm. "In Storybrooke and right now, they need us to get back there." She moved to the wardrobe. "So…how do we get _this_ to work?"

_Then…_

Snow watched anxiously as they waited for some evidence of the magic healing Ruth. David and Lancelot were arguing about whether she should already be healed or not. She stood back, hoping that if it worked they might be able to find another shell of water when they weren't so pressured for time.

The consensus seemed to be that the magic wasn't working. Concerned, Snow joined them again. Standing closer, she could see that Ruth was running out of time and it brought back so many memories of her own mother's death.

"My only regret," Ruth sighed. "Is that I won't live to see you marry Snow." A small smile formed on Snow's lips as Charming shushed his mother.

"Yes, you will," she assured the woman. "Lancelot, does a disgraced member of the round table still have the power to perform a wedding?" she asked the former knight.

"It would be my honour," he replied. Within a couple of minutes, they had a makeshift wedding arch built and Ruth carefully moved so she could see properly. She knew it was only for Ruth and not official, but it made Snow happy to at least have this. Lancelot married them and after they kissed, Snow saw that Ruth had passed away with a smile on her face.

"Good bye, Mother," David sighed.

_There…_

"Where's the 'on' switch?" Emma asked, almost jokingly, as she and Mary Margaret examined the wardrobe. In Henry's book, it said that the wardrobe had only had enough magic for one person, and that had been used when she was sent to Maine. The question was how to get magic back into it.

"It's more complicated than that," the other sighed. "We'll have to get it back to the island. Hopefully, someone there has access to enough magic to make it work again…" Somehow, Emma got the feeling that the someone she was referring to was Cora.

"How are we gonna carry this thing?" she asked instead of voicing her concern about Regina's mother.

"With the help of an old friend," the voice of Lancelot said from the door to the room.

"Lancelot…," Mary Margaret said, clearly relieved. Emma got a feeling that something was off, but she didn't voice her concern. It was the same feeling she'd gotten before from him. "What are you doing here?"

"We heard about the ogre attack," he answered simply. "And I had to make sure you were all right." Looking him over, Emma figured out just where she'd gotten the feeling of foreboding since arriving in the Enchanted Forest, or rather…whom. But she didn't think it was possible.

"Oh. Where are Mulan and Aurora?"

"I sent them to find food. Tonight we'll make camp, and in the morning, we'll head back. So…," he muttered the last word as he stepped towards the wardrobe. " _This_ is it…the portal you were after."

"The same one Emma went through," Mary Margaret said lightly. Emma wanted to voice her concern, but she got the feeling that her mother would rationalize it as Emma not knowing the man as well, so she kept silent. "It's how she escaped the curse."

 _Is this how Henry felt about trying to talk to Regina?_ She wondered as the two continued talking about the wardrobe. _Hell, this has to be how every teen feels when confronted with trying to argue with their parents…_

"Why are you so interested in the wardrobe?" Mary Margaret asked suddenly.

"Well, I just want you to get home to your husband. And your girlfriend dealing with those mobs…they must need you." Emma blushed a little at the statement, but at the same time, she remembered that they hadn't said anything to _Lancelot_ about Emma having a girlfriend or anything about mobs. The only person she'd even mentioned her concern about Regina to was _Cora_.

"Stay away from him, Emma," Mary Margaret snapped as she pulled her sword out. "He's not who he says he is."

"Then who _is_ he?" she asked, despite knowing exactly who. She just wanted her mother to feel like she was the only one to figure it out. It was wrong, but Mary Margaret had spent the entire trip trying to prove something and Emma didn't want her to feel bad.

"There's only _one_ person you mentioned mobs to. Where she got _girlfriend_ from, I don't know…," she muttered.

"Cora. And why else would I be worried about Regina?" She snapped.

"Clever girl," Cora's voice came from Lancelot's mouth as smoke swirled around the imposter and Cora replaced the warrior.

"Where's Lancelot?" Mary Margaret growled, pointing her sword at the woman.

"He's dead," was the nonchalant reply. "I killed him a long time ago." Her attitude had Emma worried that Mulan and Aurora had met the same fate when Cora had arrived.

"And you've been posing as him ever since."

"Well, they'd never listen to _me_. And besides, every kingdom needs a hero, don't you think?" Cora continued in a sickly sweet tone. Mary Margaret shouted in rage and charged the witch. Of course, Cora deflected the attack with magic, pinning her to a wall. "Thank you, Snow. I've been looking for a way over for _so_ long."

Emma finally made a move as Cora kept her attention on the other woman, drawing a dagger and moving to attack. Immediately, Cora reacted, holding her back with magic. Her limbs felt like lead, and it seemed the more she struggled, the harder it was to move. "I never thought the person to help me find it…would be _you_."

"Why?" Mary Margaret asked. "Why are you doing this?"

"I want to see my daughter. It's been too long. And you know, I would love to meet my grandson." Something in the woman's tone set Emma off and she somehow managed to break free of Cora's spell. The only thing she could think of to protect Regina and Henry (and possibly the entire town) from this woman was to destroy the portal. She'd apologize to Regina later.

" _No_ , you won't!" she shouted. A flame formed in Emma's free hand and she barely paused to marvel at the sudden magic. Before she could question herself or her decision, Emma threw the flame at the wardrobe, setting it aflame.

"No!" Cora shouted as the wardrobe turned to ash. Another flame formed in Emma's hand and she started to throw it at Cora when smoke started swirling around the woman's feet. "We're not done," she snapped as the smoke engulfed her and she vanished. The flame in Emma's hand disappeared as she ran to help Mary Margaret to her feet.

"You okay?" she asked, checking her mother for injury.

"You saved me," was all the other said, her tone shocked.

"Yeah, well…," she fished for something to say, but decided to try and change the subject. "Where _is_ she?"

"Gone."

"So's our ride home…," she sighed, looking at the pile of ash.

_Then…_

"I'm so sorry," Snow apologized after they buried Ruth. "She was all the family you had left."

"No," Charming argued. "I still have you." He turned to her and held her hand. "I love you, Snow. And together, we can start a new family." She flinched a little at that. "Here," he continued, either ignoring or not noticing her reaction.

He offered her the amulet. "This belonged to her," he said, trying to give it to her. "She would've wanted you to have it. She said it could tell you what your child would be."

"Please don't…," she whispered, pushing the amulet away.

"It's just a superstition," he argued, putting the chain in her hand.

"There's something I need to tell you," she sighed.

"What is it?" he questioned, seeming to finally recognize her distress. "What's wrong?"

"Wh—" she broke off as the amulet started swinging from east to west. "We're going to have a child," she said, shocked.

" _What_?"

"We're going to have a child," she repeated, barely believing it.

"Is there…something I need to know?"

"I mean…someday," she corrected herself.

"Well, of course we are," he laughed. "What's it say it's gonna be? It's gonna be a boy, right? I can never remember which direction means what…"

"It's a surprise," she told him with a smile. She already had a name in mind.

"I'll send the signal for the army to regroup," Charming said brightly. She barely heard the rest of his words as he hurried off. Snow looked at Lancelot and approached him when David was gone.

"This is because of you, isn't it?" she questioned. "Ruth only pretended to drink _the_ water. She had you put it in the wedding chalice so I would drink it. That's how King George's curse was broken, wasn't it?"

_Now…_

Henry met with Neal outside the library. He still had a lot to think about, but he kind of wanted a distraction. Both his father and his grandfather were standing on the corner. Henry couldn't help but smile, seeing them talking together.

"When I was a kid we practiced with sticks," Neal was saying.

"And I had a shepherd's staff," David argued. "He has access to these, so we may as well use them." Henry saw his grandfather lift some toy swords and he grinned broadly.

"Yeah, you have a point there," his father agreed with a small chuckle. Henry finally cleared his throat to announce his presence. Neal shoved David a little.

"So…I've been thinking," David started, hiding the toy swords behind his back. "If you're gonna start helping me, we gotta make sure we do this right. So…I picked these up on my way home." He presented the weapons to him.

" _Seriously_?" Henry questioned, showing his excitement.

"Yeah, you're the grandson of a prince," he shrugged, offering one of the swords to him. "I think it's about time you learned how to use a sword." He looked to his father for approval and Neal nodded.

"When I was your age, I learned to use a sword," he stated with a shrug.

"Are you a prince too then, Dad?"

"Not exactly…I'll tell you some other time."

"After we get Emma back?"

"Yeah, after we get Emma back. I'm gonna go talk to…Lacey about some research stuff. You got this, David?"

"Yeah, I think so," David agreed. Neal started off.

"See you tomorrow morning at Granny's for breakfast," he told Henry. Henry nodded in agreement and took one of the swords from David.

"Can you teach me how to fight a dragon?" He paused a moment. "You know? We'll work our way up to it." David laughed and bowed a little to him.

"My liege…en garde!" They started fighting with the swords. Henry laughed, happy for the distraction and quality time with his grandfather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll probably notice in flashbacks, Charming's no longer called James in variation with his nickname. This is because 'offscreen', he told Snow the truth about how he became 'Prince James' and since it's implied in the show that his birth name was David to start with, Snow only calls him James in formal settings where she can't call him Charming so there's no confusion or anything.


	4. The Crocodile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of the chaos in Storybrooke, Lacey's father forces a meeting with her. Nearly 300 years ago, Rumplestiltskin becomes a single father.

_Now…_

Lacey smiled a little as Gold put a diamond necklace around her neck. It was her lunch hour and as acting sheriff, she'd come by to make sure no one was causing too much trouble for the Dark One. Instead of letting her do her job, he'd invited her to lunch and given her a necklace.

"It's um…," her voice broke a little. "It's very beautiful. So, what's the occasion?"

"The occasion is us," he answered simply. "We haven't really gotten out much since Storybrooke awakened, so I thought we should see it together." She turned around and he made a small noise as he looked her over. The necklace really didn't match her simple outfit and it really clashed with her deputy badge. "Wow…"

"Thank you," she said lightly, taking it off. "I'll wear it with something more formal. I'm on my lunch break, after all."

"Ah yes…your lunch break. Deputy Belle."

"Deputy _Lacey_ French," she corrected. "You know I only came by to make sure no one was causing trouble here." Just then, the bell at the door jingled lightly and Leroy stormed into the building.

"Okay, 'Stiltskin, I want my axe," the man growled.

"I'm sorry, but we're closed," Gold sighed.

"It's mine," the other argued. "Give it to me."

"And yet, still closed…"

"Just 'cause you possess something don't mean it's yours."

"Leroy, calm down," Lacey sighed, looking at her old friend.

"Nothing in this shop belongs to him!" he shouted at her. "And you…how can you be with such a monster?" he demanded. "Or maybe _you're_ just another possession, too."

"How dare you?!" Gold growled, stepping forward. "You want your axe? Fine!"

"Rumplestiltskin!" Lacey snapped, resting her hand on her gun.

"You can have it buried in your chest!" he continued.

"Stop! Stop it, both of you!" she shouted, stepping between them as she pulled her gun out. "This isn't you anymore," she told Gold.

"Oh, it's me, dearie~," he trilled, suddenly the scaly skinned Dark One again. "Always has been, always will be." She blinked and when she opened her eyes, she was staring at the ceiling of the hidden room in the library.

Lacey sat up in her bed and wiped the sweat from her brow. She looked over to see Neal asleep in a pile of books and Regina using several more books as a pillow. She sighed heavily and went up to her workshop.

_Then…_

Rumplestilskin came home from the market and put the sack of wool he'd purchased down for him to sort out after dinner. He hobbled over to the savings jar and emptied his meager earnings from his thread sales into it. It wasn't much, but it would feed their family.

"Milah?" he called into the home. "Bae?" he started for the kitchen area and found his son sitting at the table playing with a bit of wool, twisting it with his fingers and then untwisting it. "I'm home, Bae," he greeted before sitting across from him. "Hey."

"Papa?" the boy questioned, looking up from the wool in his hands.

"Where's mum?" he asked, looking around to see if Milah was simply bent over doing something. When Baelfire didn't respond, he stood up. The effort hurt, because he was already sore from the trip to the market, as he had to go to the next town to make any money at all, but he tried not to show that pain to his son. "Well, she probably just lost track of time. Grab your cloak," he instructed. "We'll find her." Baelfire nodded and got up to do as he'd been told.

Killian Jones sat with a number of his crew and a beautiful young woman named Milah in the tavern. They were all playing dice and drinking and having a gay time. He knew she was married, and he wasn't planning on doing anything with her unless she initiated it, but with the way things were going, it seemed she was planning to go to the ship with him. The woman won the round, to the dismay of his crewmen.

"Milah," a quiet voice said behind them. "Milah," the voice said, a little louder after a moment of being ignored. "It's time to go." Killian looked over to see a poor looking man leaning on a staff much taller than himself.

"Good," she snapped, barely looking at the man. "So go."

"Who's this?" Killian questioned, though he had a feeling by her reaction that this was her husband.

"Ah, it's no one," she sighed. "It's just my husband," she added, her tone as if she was uttering a curse.

"Ah," he laughed. "Well, he's a tad taller than you described."

"Please," the man said meekly. "You have responsibilities."

"You mean like _being a man_ and fighting in the ogre wars?" she questioned bitterly. "Other wives became honoured widows, while I became _lashed_ to the village coward. I need a break," she continued, turning to pick up the dice for another round. "Run home, Rumple. It's what you're good at."

"Mama?" a child's voice came from behind Rumple's leg and Killian looked at Milah, concerned. She hadn't mentioned a child and the look on her face told him she didn't want the kid.

"Bae, you were supposed to wait outside, son," Rumple scolded the boy. Milah made an aggravated noise and got up to usher the boy and her husband out of the building.

When they arrived home, Rumple tucked Baelfire in for bed and confronted his wife in the kitchen. He knew that everyone saw him as a coward for injuring himself so he wouldn't leave his son without a father. And he believed them. He was a coward. Just like his own father had been.

"You don't really wish I'd died…during the ogre wars, do you?" he questioned her as she moved to clean the kitchen, slamming things around.

"I wish you'd fought," she snapped. "Don't you?"

"Well, I-I'm alive," he stammered in his defense. "And I'm here with you, with Bae."

"This isn't a life, not for me," she told him, her voice bitter. "Why can't we just leave?"

"We…we've talked about that." He grew up in this house, he couldn't just leave it.

"You don't have to be the village coward," she argued. "We could start again, go somewhere no one knows us. See…the whole world beyond this village."

"I know this wasn't the life you wanted, but it…it can be good here. At least try…if not for me…then…for Bae…," he tried. He knew she was right, but they barely had the money to buy food and supplies for his spinning, which was how they earned money. They couldn't afford to move to another village and try to find a home. He couldn't raise his son on the street.

"Okay," she whispered, relenting. "I'll try…"

 _Now_ …

Regina woke up in the secret room of the library and stretched. She was sore, and they hadn't made any headway. She got up and moved to wake up Neal. He groaned and simply rolled over.

"OUCH!" he shouted, jumping up.

"What did you hit?" she questioned. He gave her a look that answered her question. She quirked an eyebrow and looked down. He went scarlet and turned around. "Never mind," she laughed. "Let's go get some breakfast at Granny's." She opened the hidden door and headed for the library's exit.

"Ah, you're up," Lacey greeted, stepping down the stairs from the upper levels. "I found an entry on mirror related portals, but we don't have the ingredients for it here."

"So another dead end…," Regina sighed.

"Maybe Emma will find a portal. If there are any magic beans left…," Neal offered, joining the two women.

"We can only hope…," Lacey agreed. "In the meanwhile, we should probably go get some breakfast. And I need to get up to the station."

 _Then_ …

Rumplestiltskin was sitting at his wheel, spinning. He'd set Baelfire to sorting out the matching wool, teaching the boy his colours as they worked. Milah was gone again, but it really didn't surprise him. At least Bae wasn't home alone again. A knock came at the door and Rumple stood up. He limped over to the door.

"Rumplestiltskin," one of the neighbour women greeted. "You need to get to the docks. _Now_."

"The docks? Why?" he questioned.

"The men who came into port last week…," she explained. "They've taken Milah. They're setting sail. You _must_ hurry."

"Will you watch my son, then?" he asked, moving to get his cloak and walking stick. The woman nodded and hurried inside. "He was helping me sort wool, but…"

"I'll keep him to that task," she agreed. "Get going!" He nodded and hobbled as fast as he could to the docks.

Killian was barking orders from the helm as his crew prepared the ship to sail. Milah was in his cabin, changing into something more suitable for sailing. He saw her husband hobble onto the deck and fall to the ground. One of the crewmen dragged him to his feet.

"I-I remember you," Rumplestiltskin stammered. "F-From the bar."

"It's always nice to make an impression," he laughed, stepping away from the helm. "Where are my manners?" he continued as he walked over to the man. "We haven't been formally introduced. Killian Jones. Now, what are you doing aboard my ship?"

"W-Well, you have my wife."

"I've had many a man's wife," he joked in response to the ambiguous threat.

"No, you…you see…we…we have a son, and he needs his mother," the cripple stammered. Killian wanted to get rid of the man quickly, and Milah had made herself clear when she'd asked to come with him. She wanted nothing to do with her cowardly husband and his son.

"And see, I have a ship full of men who need…companionship," he stated harshly. A chorus of concerned voices came from the crew and he silenced them with a sharp look. Of course he wasn't planning to let his men do anything to Milah, but if it would get rid of her nuisance of a husband, he'd say what he needed to.

"I-I'm begging you," Rumplestiltskin pleaded. "Please let her go."

"I'm not much for bartering," Killian snapped, getting tired of this. "That said, I _do_ consider myself an honourable man, a man with a code," he continued. _Well, a code of sorts_ , he added silently. "So…if you truly want your wife back," he picked up a sword and threw it towards Rumplestiltskin. The blade clattered to the ground at the man's feet. "All you have to do is take her."

The only response he received was a confused look. Rumple stared blankly between Killian and the sword. "Never been in a duel before, I take it?" he taunted. "Well, it's quite simple, really. The pointy end goes in the other guy. Go on, pick it up," he continued, mocking. Of course, the coward did nothing. "A man unwilling to _fight_ for what he wants… _deserves_ what he gets."

"Please, sir," Rumple said, broken. "What am I gonna tell my boy?"

"Try the truth," Killian snapped as he returned to the helm. "That his father's a coward."

_Now…_

Henry went with Ruby to check in on the mining. He sure didn't see any diamonds on the walls or in the carts yet. Leroy was supervising, shouting encouragements to the workers.

"Did they find any fairy dust yet, you think?" Ruby questioned quietly.

"No, not yet," Henry sighed. "But they will, and when they do, we'll figure out a way to get Mary Margaret and my mom back." He knew that wasn't entirely why they were looking to get some fairy dust, but that was his main concern.

"I'll be back later with lunch," Ruby sighed, leaving. Henry coughed a little from the mine dust and decided to leave. He went to the sheriff's station to see if Lacey was there. She was sitting in Emma's office, working.

"Hello, Henry," she greeted him.

"How's the research coming?" he asked her.

"Slowly," she sighed. "Regina and Neal spent the night in the library looking for answers. We haven't found anything that would work on this side."

"I see…," he sighed. "Thanks for your help."

"Don't worry about it, Henry," she said with a smile. "Here, why don't you help me with this filing?" He nodded eagerly and started helping.

Gold went to Moe French's flower shoppe and looked around for the man. He considered getting a bouquet of flowers to make peace with Lacey, but he wanted to see if she'd attempted talking to her father since the curse was broken.

"What do you want?" Moe snapped at him.

"I was wondering if you'd heard from your daughter," he replied lightly.

"Is this some kind of cruel joke?"

"It's just a question."

"If she'd _survived_ that deal, I don't doubt she'd be here with me."

"Oh, she survived. I was kinder to her than you ever were," he accused bitterly.

"That's doubtful. And even if she _had_ been by, I wouldn't tell you."

"Oh, that's what I'd expect from someone who abused her. I saw the bruises you and that fiancé left on her. And if she _does_ come to talk to you, and you do anything to her, you'll be lucky if you only end up in the hospital again," he threatened before leaving the shop.

_Then…_

The Dark One sat in the tavern of his old hometown, staring at the table where he'd seen Milah with that pirate. Bitterly, his mind replayed the evening and how his wife had embarrassed him and later treated him. He'd long gotten past her betrayal, though the fact that she'd left _Bae_ still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"It really is you," a voice said and he looked up to see the trader that had asked to meet him sitting down across the table. "The Dark One, in the flesh. Or…whatever that is."

"You've gone to a lot of trouble to meet me," he snapped. "You better hope I agree it's…worth my time."

"I've heard you've been looking for something, and as luck would have it, I'm a man who trades in hard-to-find objects," the man said. "Like a bean," he whispered. "A magic bean…that can transport you between worlds."

"I've been told they no longer exist in this land," Rumplestiltskin argued. He knew it had been a lie, but he didn't trust that damned fairy anyways.

"Not in this land, no," the other agreed. "But the ships that dock here often return from far off lands with treasures they don't always understand."

"And yet…you do?" he questioned.

"It's my job," the man answered with a shrug. "As is knowing the rumours of who might pay the highest price for said treasures."

"And what…rumours could they be?" _Surely_ , he thought. _No one would be_ brave _enough to spread rumours about me_.

"That you were once a great coward, but that you became The Dark One to overcome that, and protect a-a son who you—"

"It's not nice to spread rumours," he interrupted, cutting the man off with magic. "A bean! Where is it?"

"I don't have it," the trader choked out. "But I can get it. I-I swear," he stammered as Rumplestiltskin released his spell. "You haven't heard my price."

"I spin _straw_ into _gold_ , price shouldn't be a problem."

"Oh, I don't want money. I want eternal life."

"Only the Dark One has life eternal," he laughed. "Tell you what, my son. What I _can_ do…what about youth? Spin the clock back 'till you're a little boy again."

"Close enough. Deal."

"But remember," he warned. "You fail to deliver, and I spin the clock forward and turn you into dust."

"Thank you," the man agreed, standing up. "Thank you." The man left the tavern and a waitress approached.

"You sure you don't want anything?" she questioned, not recognizing the Dark One under his hood. The door burst open and an all too familiar pirate came into the tavern.

"Where be my scurvy crew?" the captain called.

"Here we be, Cap'n!" a group of men shouted in reply, lifting their glasses.

"You know?" Rumplestiltskin sighed. "I suddenly find myself rather parched." The barmaid nodded and went to get him a mug.

_Now…_

Lacey went to Granny's to meet with Katherine and Emilie, pulling Regina behind her. She'd seen how the former queen had changed, and she wanted people to see the new Regina, rather than the Evil Queen. Of course, everyone in the building stared at the pair as they crossed the diner to sit with Katherine and her mother.

"Hey, Deputy," Ruby greeted, breaking the silence. "You getting the usual?"

"Yeah," she agreed as she took her seat.

"Madame Mayor," Katherine greeted Regina.

"Oh, I'm sure I'm not welcome as mayor anymore," Regina sighed. "Just Regina is fine." She turned her attention to Ruby, who was waiting for her to order. Lacey smiled a little. "My usual as well, Ruby, please."

"All right," Ruby sighed, heading to get their drinks.

"So…Regina. I didn't think you'd be out and about with all the hatred being spouted at you," Katherine offered.

"Lacey insisted that I leave the library for lunch…since I got kicked out at breakfast, I didn't think it was a good idea to come here," Regina muttered. "I…don't know you…"

"I'm from Arendelle, originally. I was the queen. And this is my mother, Emilie."

Lacey smiled as the pair started chatting. Clearly Regina's reputation hadn't effected Katherine's impression of the woman. Ruby returned with their drinks and then took their orders, apologizing to Regina about her grandmother's reaction to her at breakfast.

By the end of lunch, Regina was smiling happily and Lacey left her in the diner chatting with Katherine and Emilie. The deputy went to the library with a grilled cheese to check in on Neal. As she started to unlock the door to the building, she saw someone approach her.

"Excuse me, miss," the man greeted.

"Can I help you?" she questioned, turning so he could see her badge clearly.

"I-I was just wondering if you had…any spare change."

"No, sorry, I don't carry cash," she sighed.

"Are you…meeting anyone here?" he questioned. Frowning, Lacey stepped towards the door.

"Yes, I am. Why?"

"Oh…well…they're not here," he tried to grab her and she shoved him back with magic.

"What are you doing? Trying to abduct me? _Why_?" she demanded.

"I-I was paid to grab you!" he defended himself.

"By _who_?" she hissed.

"M-Moe French!"

"Father…," she growled, magically transporting the man to a cell in the station. She then put Neal's sandwich inside the library and went to her father's flower shoppe.

_Then…_

Killian walked down an alley with his crew from the tavern towards the inn. An old cloaked beggar walked by as he laughed with the crew. The beggar bumped into him and simply continued walking. Outraged, he whirled on the man.

"Hey, you!" he shouted. "Stop. Even gutter rats have more manners than you just displayed!"

"No, I'm so sorry, Sir," the beggar muttered. Killian could see that the man's visible skin was almost scaly.

"Ah," he laughed. "I was wrong. Not a rat at all. More…," he continued, knocking the cup out of the man's hand. As the man knelt to try and pick up his coins, Killian put a foot on his back. "More like a _crocodile_." He kicked the man over. "What's your name, _crocodile_?"

The beggar giggled sadistically and pulled the hood from his head. Somehow, the face seemed familiar to Killian, but he couldn't place it. "You…," he muttered, then he remembered. Milah's cowardly husband. "I remember you."

"Always nice to make an impression," Rumplestiltskin said, mocking. "Where are my manners? We haven't been properly introduced," the scaled cripple laughed, copying Killian's last greeting to him. "Rumplestiltskin," he trilled the name. "Or…as others know me, the _Dark One_." Hearing that, Killian took a step back. "Oh! I see my reputation precedes me."

"It does…," he said softly, suddenly regretting the way he'd previously treated the man.

"Good! That's gonna save us time during the question and answer portion of our game."

"What is it you want to know?"

"How's Milah, of course?"

'Who?" He tried to act like he didn't remember Milah. Fortunately, she was with a few of the other crewmen getting supplies.

"Only too happy to, uh, _dig out_ the memory, but it gets really messy," Rumple laughed.

"She's dead," he amended. "Died a long time ago," he added, waving to his men to leave the scene. "What is it you want?"

"We didn't get a chance to finish our duel," was the response. So, he drew his sword. "Ah! Not _now_. Tomorrow at dawn. I am not a _cruel_ man. Get your affairs in order. Also…you can spend tonight knowing it'll be your last." He giggled. "Maybe I am cruel. And don't think about trying to escape, because I _will_ find you. And I will gut your entire crew," he paused to sneer. "Like the fish," his accent shifted. Killian could only nod dumbly.

_Now…_

Gold went to the station to try and talk to Lacey, but he only found Henry working at a computer and answering the phone. A man was in one of the cells, but Lacey was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Deputy French?" he questioned, startling the boy.

"She's probably with my dad at the library. She and my mom were going to get lunch and then work on research," Henry answered with a shrug. He glanced at the man in the cell.

"I suppose she trusted you with the keys to his cell?"

"Oh, she has the keys with her. But I just finished getting the paperwork started for her. He just dropped in. I guess Mom sent him here."

"I see…the library, you said?"

"Yeah, if she's not there then my dad probably knows where she is."

"Your…father? He's in town?"

"Yep. Has been for a while. You probably wouldn't know him though, he's not _from_ the Enchanted Forest, I think. Neal Cassidy."

"Oh…he's from the Enchanted Forest," Gold murmured. "And I know him…fairly well." And if Neal was Henry's father, that made the boy his grandson. "Thank you for your help, Henry," he sighed before leaving the station.

_Then…_

Rumplestiltskin waited above the alley, turning a sword in his hands as he sat on an archway. Finally, the pirate arrived and the Dark One announced his presence by dropping the sword to the ground in front of Killian.

"Pick it up, dearie, and let's begin," he trilled. He magicked the sword from Killian's belt and let it rest on the stone arch.

"There's no need," the pirate replied, reaching for his own sword, grasping at empty air.

"Sorry," he chuckled, lifting the sword. "But killing a man with his own sword was just too… _delicious_ to pass up." He transported himself to the ground in front of the pirate. They crossed swords and within minutes, the Dark One had him pinned.

"Go on," the pirate surrendered. "I'm ready for the sword."

"No," Rumplestiltskin sighed, leaning down. "Do you know what it's like to have your wife _stolen_ from you? To feel _powerless_ to stop it?" He put the sword aside. "It feels like having your heart ripped from your chest. Actually," he paused, putting his hand into Killian's chest. "Let me show you."

"Stop!" an all too familiar female voice shouted. Startled, he looked to the source of the voice. Sure enough, Milah was standing at the end of the alley.

"Milah…"

_Now…_

Lacey went into the back of her father's shoppe and glanced around for her father. He stepped into the room after a minute, and he seemed surprised that the man he'd hired to kidnap her wasn't there.

"You know it's a _crime_ to attempt to kidnap someone, much less the deputy sheriff," she snapped at him.

"Belle?" he questioned, ignoring her statement. He stepped towards her and tried to hug her. "Oh…oh how I've missed you, Belle." She shoved him away, but he persisted. "I'm so sorry this is how we had to be reunited. Please understand, I had no choice."

"But to kidnap me?" she accused.

"After the curse broke, I searched all over for you and discovered the Dark One still had you captive."

"He wasn't holding me captive," she growled, pulling her badge from her waistband and flashing it. "If you'd really been looking for me, you would have heard and found me at the sheriff's station. I'm the deputy sheriff, and I should arrest you for attempted kidnapping. Among other things." He shook his head in response.

"How?"

"Despite what you think, _Father_ , I'm not a child. And my life is none of your business."

"Yes it is!" he shouted. "You're my daughter, Belle!"

"It's _Lacey_ here. And after what you did to me, to my _mother_ , you deserve to spend the rest of your miserable life in prison," she growled. "And you shouldn't spout accusations against those you don't know."

"Don't you talk to me like that!" he shouted, grabbing her arm tightly. "Have you been hanging around _him_?"

"And what if I have?" she bit, shoving him away.

"Did you…you didn't fall in love with him…?"

"Yes," she said truthfully.

"You must end it!"

"And why should I listen to you!?" she shouted at him, shoving him into the wall with magic. "All you ever did while I was growing up was abuse me! You abused me before I was even _born_. Do you know why I left with him in the first place? Because it was a chance to get away from you. Now, if you don't leave me alone, I'll throw you in prison." She turned and left the shoppe.

Gold went to the library and hesitantly tried the door. It was unlocked, so he went inside. He looked around for any sign of Neal or Lacey.

"Lacey?" he called.

"Why are you looking for Lacey?" Neal questioned him.

"I need to talk to her," he sighed. "Make amends…"

"Well, she's not here."

"I see that…do you know where she is?"

"Nope," his son shrugged.

"Well, I'll keep looking for her. You didn't tell me you had a son…"

"I didn't know myself until right before Emma broke the curse…and it just hasn't come up. I've been busy. And I need to get back to work…"

"Right…I'll get back to looking for Lacey." He left the library with a sigh.

_Then…_

"Milah…," Rumplestiltskin trailed off, staring at the woman. "How…?"

"Milah," Killian gasped out. "You have to run."

"No," she argued. "I'm not leaving without you." Rumplestiltskin looked back at the pirate and squeezed the man's heart a little, drawing a shout of pain.

"Oh, how sweet," he mocked. "It appears there's more to this tale than I know. Tell it to me, Milah."

"Please don't hurt him," she pleaded. "I can explain."

"Tick-tock, dearie," he told her, squeezing the heart again. "Tick-tock."

"That first night," she started. He finally removed his hand from the pirate's chest, leaving the heart where it belonged. He picked up the sword. "When Killian and his crew came into the tavern, he told stories about the places he'd been, and I fell in love with him," she continued.

The Dark One stabbed the sword into Killian's side. "I didn't mean for it to turn out this way. I didn't know how to tell you the truth. I'm sorry."

"And so…," he muttered, twisting the blade a little. "You've come to save the life of your… _true love_ , the pirate. I didn't realize the power of true love before," he continued, mocking. "It is… _impressive_. I'd hate to break it up. Actually…no," he laughed. "I'd love to." He pushed the sword deeper into the man's side.

"Wait," she gasped. "I have something you want."

"Well, I find that _very_ difficult to believe," he snapped, though he pulled the sword out of the pirate's side. Milah showed off a familiar red hat. "Where did you get that?"

"You know who I got it from," she snapped. "I may not know what the Dark one wants with a magic bean, but I have it."

"Oh," he chuckled. "I feel a proposal coming on."

"The magic bean, in exchange for our lives," she offered. "Deal?"

"I wanna see it first," he snapped.

_Now…_

As Lacey left her father's shoppe, she heard him come up behind her. Before she could respond, something hit the back of her head hard enough to knock her to the ground.

Gold went to Granny's, feeling defeated. He saw Regina sitting with a woman he didn't recognize, chatting, and he decided to ask her if they'd seen Lacey. He approached them.

"Regina," he greeted. "Have you seen Lacey?"

"Not since she went to take Neal lunch," she answered. "Why?"

"I need to talk to her."

"She's not at the library or the station?"

"I checked at both places."

"I'll text her and see if she's busy," the other woman offered.

"Thank you…," he sighed. She pulled her phone out and sent a text. After several strained minutes, she shook her head a little.

"Odd…usually she responds immediately…"

"Maybe I can help?" Ruby offered. "She's my friend, after all."

"Please, I'd hate to think something happened to her. I know she can take care of herself, but if someone caught her off guard…"

"I'll come with you," Regina offered, getting up.

"Same," the other woman agreed. "I'm Katherine, by the way, Mr. Gold." He nodded a little and the four of them left the diner. Ruby led them to Moe's shoppe.

"I lost the trail…," Ruby apologized before sneezing. "It must be the flowers…I can't track her anymore…I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Gold sighed. "This is her father's shoppe." _And he's just the person I was most worried about her having to deal with_ , he thought bitterly. He started inside, but saw something glint on the ground. He bent to pick it up and saw that it was her deputy badge. "Her badge…"

Abruptly, the flowers around them froze and he looked at Katherine. The woman's brown hair had turned white blonde and he suddenly recognized her. The young queen of Arendelle with her strange ice magic. The woman pushed past him and went into the shoppe. Gold and the other two women hurried after her.

"Where is she?!" Katherine shouted at Moe.

"She's safe," the man argued, backing into a corner as ice covered nearly everything in the building.

"If she's with you, she's the furthest thing from safe!" Gold accused, holding up the badge. "And her badge would be on her person, not on the ground in front of your shoppe!"

"You stay away from my daughter! You'll destroy Belle like you destroy everything else. I won't let that happen," Moe snapped.

" _I'll_ destroy her?! You have no right to talk about her like she's an object."

"What have you done with her?" Regina demanded.

"I have to make her forget about you, no matter the cost…," the man whimpered as ice crawled up his leg. "Even if it means she forgets me too."

"He's sending her across the town line," Ruby gasped.

"Where are you sending her across?!" Katherine demanded, firing ice bolts at the man's hands to pin him to the wall.

"He's been in the mines," Ruby said. "I can smell it on him!" The ice must have cleared the smell of the flowers and cleared her senses.

"We have to hurry," Regina said, turning to leave. Gold nodded in agreement and they hurried out of the shoppe.

"Are you gonna thaw that?" Ruby questioned Katherine as they hurried to the mines.

"Maybe later," the woman said with a shrug as her hair faded back to brown. "A bit of frost bite might do that guy some good. What did he do to Lacey before?"

"When I met her, she was so battered she couldn't adjust her corsets or walk without wincing," he sighed. "She was almost desperate to get out and the deal we made gave her that chance."

"What happened?" Regina asked as they arrived at the mines.

"Later," Ruby argued as they started into the tunnels, her nose leading the way.

_Then…_

Killian winced as Milah helped him onto the ship. She'd managed to bind his wound, but that didn't help much more than stopping the bleeding. Milah barked orders at the crew as she helped him sit on a barrel.

"Well, well, seems you finally found the family you could never have with me," Rumplestiltskin accused, appearing on the deck as one of the crewmen dragged the trader out of the brig. Milah showed the bean to the Dark One.

"You asked to see it," he said with a wince. "And now you have."

"Do we have a deal?" Milah questioned. "Can we go our separate ways?"

"Do you mean…do I forgive you?" he mocked. "Can I move on? Perhaps…perhaps. I can see you are… _truly_ in love."

"Thank you," she sighed, stepping back to Killian's side. She knelt to check his wound.

"Just one question," the Dark One sighed.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"How could you leave Bae? Do you know what it was like…walking home that night?"

"Rumple…," she sighed.

"Knowing I had to tell _our son_ …"

"Please…"

"That his mother was _dead_?"

"I was wrong to lie to you," she defended herself. "I was the coward. I knew that."

"You _left him_!" he shouted at her. "You abandoned him!"

"And there's not a day that goes by that I don't feel sorry for that!" she shouted in return. Killian knew it was a lie. Just the day before, when they'd made port in her hometown, he'd asked if she wanted to find her son and give him the choice to join them and she'd replied in the resound negative. She'd told him that she wanted nothing to do with a coward's son.

"Sorry _isn't_ enough!" the man shouted. "You let him go," he continued, visibly calmer.

"I let my misery cloud my judgment," she sighed.

"Why were you so miserable?"

"Because I never loved you," she snapped. With a sneer, Rumplestiltskin reached into Milah's chest and ripped her heart from her chest. Wincing, Killian stood and tried to rush to Milah's aid.

"Milah!" he shouted. With a wave of the Dark One's hand, Killian was thrown against the mast. He felt his wound begin bleeding again, but he ignored it. "No!" he rushed to catch Milah as she fell.

"I…love you…," she whispered as Rumplestiltskin crushed her heart in his hand.

"No…," he muttered, brushing her cheek with his fingers. "You may be more powerful now, demon," he growled at the other. "But you're no less a coward."

"I'll have what I came for, now," the imp said darkly. Killian took the bean from Milah's hand and hit it in his pocket, making it look like it was in his left hand as he stood. He winced a little.

"You'll have to kill me first," he growled.

"Ah-ah! I'm afraid that's not in the cards for you, sonny boy," the Dark One trilled, using a sword to cut Killian's left hand off. The captain fell to the deck, shouting in pain. "I want you alive, because I want you to suffer like I did."

Enraged, Killian grabbed the nearest weapon to himself with his remaining hand, a hook. He stood and drove the point into Rumplestiltskin's chest. "Killing me is gonna take a lot more than that, dearie," the imp laughed, pushing the captain back to the ground.

"Even demons can be killed. I _will_ find a way," he swore.

"Well, good luck living long enough." With that, the Dark One vanished in a puff of smoke, the hook falling to the ground. Killian picked up the hook as his crewmen surrounded him to help.

_Now…_

Lacey woke in a mine cart as it rolled over a bump. She groaned in pain and tried to take in her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was that it was dark. The cart rolled over another bump and she sat up.

"Where am I?" she questioned, looking around a second time. She rolled past the work area and realized she was in the mines. She created a ball of fire to give herself a better look around. The cart suddenly picked up speed, going past the warning signs about the town line.

She looked back to see that a motor had been planted along the tracks. She started to jump out of the cart, but realized that her own handcuffs had her locked to the safety bar. Immediately, she moved to dig the key out of her pocket, but _all_ of her keys were gone, as was her gun and badge.

She cursed under her breath and magically unlocked herself. She was just about to transport herself back to her father's shoppe to arrest him when the cart started moving backwards, knocking her onto her back. _Rumplestiltskin_ , she thought sourly. Sure enough, when the cart stopped, Gold was standing there with Regina, Katherine and Ruby.

"Lacey, are you all right?" he questioned, moving to help her out of the cart. Since her head was still hurting from the previous blow, she allowed it.

"I might have a concussion," she answered him. Regina was the one to reach to check the back of her head, and the woman's hand came back with blood on it.

"You're bleeding," the woman stated. Surprised, despite the obvious presence of blood on the mayor's fingers, Lacey reached back to touch the tender lump on the back of her head. She could feel the split in her skin.

"You need to get to the hospital," Ruby added, covering her nose.

"First though, where's my father? I want to put him through some cruel and unusual torture…," Lacey muttered. She knew she'd probably change her mind, or let Gold or her friends deal with that, but it made her feel a little better to say it aloud.

"No," Katherine argued. "You need a hospital _now_. Ruby looks like she's about to pass out from the smell of your blood…"

"I'm fine…," the waitress argued, pinching her nose. "And your dad's frozen to a wall back in his shoppe."

"Okay…," Lacey took a step forward, but quickly lost her footing and fell against Gold. He steadied her carefully. She smiled a little at him and after a moment, he picked her up gently. The group then headed to the hospital. "He took my gun and keys…"

"I'll go get them," Katherine offered. "I should probably thaw him out before he has to lose a few fingers from frostbite."

_Then…_

With his injuries bound and tended, Killian sailed the _Jolly Roger_ to a sorcerer he'd traded with several years back. He hoped that the man could bring Milah back to life. When they docked, the sorcerer was standing on the pier. Killian jumped off the ship and onto the pier.

"You've run afoul of the Dark One, I hear," the graying sorcerer noted.

"Aye," Killian agreed. "Can you bring my wife back to life?"

"Bring her to me." He nodded and waved to his men to bring her body ashore. They went into the nearby fortress and the men placed Milah on a table. They were shooed out of the room and the sorcerer looked over her body. "Her heart was removed, there's nothing I can do."

"Please," he pleaded. "I'll give anything to save her."

"Anything?"

"My _life_ if that's what it costs," he answered seriously. The old sorcerer nodded and plunged his hand into Killian's chest. He gasped in pain at the action.

"Then there's _one thing_ I can manage." The man removed his hand, holding Killian's heart in his hand, glowing a mottled red. "So young…yet already so dark…," he commented as he put both hands on the beating thing. "All magic has a cost. The cost of returning life to the dead is the greatest." He turned his hands, causing Killian to double over in pain.

He looked up to see that the sorcerer had torn his heart in two. He straightened up and watched as one half of the heart was put into Milah's chest. She gasped and started breathing again, but didn't wake. The sorcerer placed the other half back into Killian's chest. "She will wake soon. Return to your ship and remember the cost."

"And…what _is_ the cost?" he questioned, cursing himself. He should have _known_ there would be a price for a magical remedy like this.

"You must discover that on your own," was the plain reply. In a swirl of smoke, the sorcerer vanished. Killian called his men back into the room and they moved Milah to the ship. They were leagues away from the shore when Milah finally woke.

"Milah…," he greeted, brushing her hair back gently.

"W-What happened…?" she asked, looking around. "Rumple—"

"I know," he cut her off before she could upset herself. "He's gone."

"He _killed_ me!" she argued. "What happened?"

"It's complicated," he sighed. "But what's important is you're alive now. And we still have the bean." He'd already instructed the crew to set sail for whatever distant lands they could reach to get away from Rumplestiltskin and his magic.

Meanwhile, after dealing with several other issues and looking into some property, Rumplestiltskin returned to his home. His house was starting to get rather cluttered with magical items. He walked to the kitchen table and smiled at the picture of Baelfire displayed.

He put the pirate's hand on the table and pried the fingers open. To his surprise, there was no bean. He growled and threw the hand into a wall.

"He tricked me!" he shouted, pushing the table over. He'd find that blasted pirate and get that bean from him if it was the last thing he did. And if the pirate didn't have the bean, he'd kill him.

A month passed and Milah became increasingly erratic and paranoid. Finally, she simply confronted him on decks. Concerned, and not entirely sure what she'd do, he turned to her. She started shouting at him, ranting nonsense. He remained silent, letting her wear herself out.

"You're no better a man than _him_!" she accused finally, slapping him across the face. He held up his hand to stop any nearby crewmen from approaching.

"Milah, you know that's not true," he told her. She shook her head.

"I've had enough of this!" With that, she picked up a sack and stormed to a longboat. Again, he held up his hand to stop anyone from interrupting her. As much as he truly loved her, he'd started to wonder if they would both have been better off if he'd just let her go.

He watched as she lowered the longboat herself and rowed away. _This is all_ Rumplestiltskin _'s fault_ , he thought bitterly. For the first time in a month at sea, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the magic bean. He clenched it in his hand.

"Fetch me the hook," he instructed Smee. The fat former trader nodded and hurried below deck to get the weapon, which had been outfitted to fit onto the brace covering his stunted wrist. As Milah's longboat left his sight, Smee offered him the hook.

"What's our heading, cap'n?" the man questioned as Killian fingered the bean.

"Harden up, and make ready!" he commanded the crew. As the men set to work, he threw the bean into the sea. "There's bumpy seas ahead."

"Cap'n?" Smee tried again. "What's our heading?" With a bitter smile, Killian took the hook and fitted it into place where his left hand once was.

"Neverland," he answered darkly, catching a spoke of the helm with his hook and pulling the wheel, steering the ship into the forming portal.

_Now…_

After Lacey's head wound was treated, she went back to her father's shoppe. This time, however, she had Katherine and Regina with her. Neither of them knew what she really had planned, but she knew that Moe still had her gun. And knowing him, after his most recent actions, she knew he'd attempt to murder her.

She didn't want to resort to this, but he was clearly willing to harm her despite her position as deputy. She'd warned Katherine and Regina that he might cause trouble, but they didn't know that a need for a dozen stitches in her scalp wasn't the worst physical injury he'd caused her.

The three of them found the shoppe empty, the few flowers that had survived Katherine's earlier freeze wilting. Lacey led them into the attached home, warning them to keep an eye out.

After Henry had gone home for the afternoon, Gold went back to the station. He stepped over to Smee's cell and sneered at him.

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here," he said darkly, leaning against the bars. "You're lucky it wasn't me that captured you, Mr. Smee."

"Look, I didn't have—"

"I'm not interested in your reasoning," he snapped, cutting the man off. "I'm interested in information about the man you work for."

"I-I'll tell you anything you wanna know about Moe," the man stammered.

"No, no," he sighed. "Not about _Moe_. Your _captain_. Where is he?" He planned to finish the pirate off before the man tried to kill him. Gold wasn't sure just how vulnerable he was in Storybrooke.

"I-I've never seen him in Storybrooke, I swear. For some reason, when the curse hit, it…it didn't take him."

"Then _where_ is he?" He faintly heard Lacey's voice over a radio feed in the office.

_"I need an ambulance to Game of Thorns flower shoppe stat."_

_There…_

Killian stood on a beach, looking through his telescope. He was waiting. If he was lucky, though he usually wasn't, the woman he was 'working' with would show up with a means to catch and kill his… _crocodile_.

"Hello, Hook," Cora greeted him. He made a face at that moniker. While it _fit_ , because of his hook, he never really cared for it. There was something crude about it in his opinion.

"Hello, Cora," he greeted in return. "You said you'd something important you needed to show me," he sighed, collapsing his telescope and putting it in his vest. The woman lifted a bottle of what appeared to be sparkling dirt. "Sparkly dirt," he groaned. "Wonderful."

"This is the remains of a magical wardrobe," she explained. "That can travel between worlds."

"Is it enough to get us where we need to go?" he demanded.

"Not quite, but it's a start."

"Then we're almost ready to set sail. What's our port of destination?"

"Storybrooke."

Elsewhere, a ship with the name _Revenge_ was sailing from a cursed isle. In the moonlight, the captain was skeletal, their clothes tattered and hanging from the apparently rotting body. A cloud covered the moon as they turned the wheel. In the darkness, Milah's features became clear. A sadistic grin on her face, she looked at the spinning compass in her hand. The needle rested and she turned the wheel again.


	5. The Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Evil Queen meets a Phoenix and subjugates her. In the woods around Storybrooke, Marlo helps a woman with magic. Meanwhile, Emma and Mary Margaret's hunt for a portal home forces them to team up with Captain Hook.

_There…_

Emma and the other women in their group walked towards Safe Haven, Emma and Aurora trailing behind. The princess tripped and Emma reached to steady her.

"Watch your step," she whispered. The girl nodded a little in response.

"Thanks…," Aurora replied, just as quietly. "I don't know if I can do this," she called to Mulan and Mary Margaret. "I'm not a very good liar."

"Well," Mary Margaret turned to face them. "It's not really a lie, Aurora. Lancelot _did_ die an honourable death and Cora _did_ escape. All true. Just…leave the particulars to us. There's no reason to cause unnecessary panic amongst your people."

"I'm not so sure it's unnecessary…," the princess muttered.

"Wait!" Mulan stopped the group. "The tower…we always have sentries guarding the entrance." The warrior drew her sword and Emma reached into her pocket, gripping her compact tightly. "Stay close."

Mary Margaret drew her own sword and they went into the encampment. The scene was nauseating to Emma. Bodies piled haphazardly, blood spattered on everything in sight. But despite the blood, it seemed too organized to have been anything less than human. And there was a strange lingering heaviness in the air that Emma could only assume was magic.

"Oh my god…," she muttered.

"This can't be…," Mulan said in disbelief. "Our land, we were protected here, hidden. How did the ogres find us?"

"Ogres didn't do this," Mary Margaret sighed. Emma figured that her mother was feeling the same heaviness in the atmosphere.

"What?" Mulan questioned, turning to Mary Margaret, who was walking to a pile of dust that seemed untouched despite the light breeze that was blowing.

"Cora did," the woman replied. "Their hearts…they were ripped out. This was her magic…twisted and evil. We _have_ to stop her."

"Too late. She killed them. She killed them all…" Mulan sat on a clean seat and put her head in her hands.

"We have to stop her before she hurts anyone else," Mary Margaret amended. Emma started walking through the encampment, looking for any survivors. She knew that if she'd been put in that situation, faced with a powerful sorceress, she'd rather hide under the dead bodies or try to hide under the raised buildings than attempt to fight her. Sure enough, she saw someone move near the bottom of a pile.

"Hey," she said, waving Aurora over to help. The princess hadn't been far off and quickly hurried to her side. "Hey!" she called to Mulan and Mary Margaret. "Look."

"There's someone under there," Aurora gasped. "He's alive!"

"Please…," the man pleaded, clearly unable to get out from under the bodies on his own.

"It's okay," Aurora encouraged as they waited for the other two to get to them.

"Please, help me!" The four of them pulled him out of the pile and helped him to a seat.

"It's okay," Mary Margaret said. Emma stepped back, looking him over. "You're safe now, we won't hurt you."

Something about him didn't sit well with Emma, but she kept her mouth shut. After seeing this, all she wanted to do was see if she could contact Regina again and see if she and Henry had found a way to open a portal or something from Storybrooke.

_Now…_

David was trying to take care of the town, he was doing well enough so far, he thought. But he held a little more respect for Regina as he dealt with the strains of being mayor. Fortunately, Lacey had the sheriff station well in hand, and Regina seemed to trust her with Henry while she and Neal did research.

Marlo LeFaye was in her back yard early that morning, starting her work at dawn. She set up the ingredients at her work table, planning to try again to open a portal to the Enchanted Forest. She knew that there were others trying to get back to their land, but the ancient gypsy didn't want to tell them she _had_ the capabilities before she managed to successfully open a portal. With magic in Storybrooke, she could manage it.

Unfortunately, as she and her sisters were the only ones besides Regina and Gold that the public knew could use magic, she was often interrupted by people looking for help. So far, she hadn't been interrupted yet with this particular project and she managed to try and cast the spell. A portal started to open, a small window showing her a glimpse of the Enchanted Forest. She saw a flash of blonde hair and a pirate she'd had dealings with before.

The portal snapped closed and an explosion blew Marlo back as the spell backfired with nearly deadly force. She pulled herself up and started straightening her clothes and hair. She found her hair hard to tame as the regularly straight locks had burst into curls.

"Well… _that_ didn't work," she grumbled as she began to clean her workspace. She muttered to herself, trying to consider what had gone wrong and what she could do to fix the problem.

Phoebe looked down at the paper in her hands, checking and double checking the address written there. She had heard rumours throughout the town that there was someone _good_ that was able to use magic. She stopped at the end of the drive, staring at the house for a few moments.

She hoped and prayed to the gods that it was true. As she stood there, she rubbed her left shoulder gently. The pain radiating from her broken wing never seemed to fade, and certainly never healed. Stuck in her human form, the phoenix was unable to heal it herself, causing her much frustration. She took a deep breath and made her way to the door, raising her hand to knock as the explosion sounded behind the house.

The sound made her jump back a little, her eyes wide. She knocked loudly on the door.

"Hello?!" she shouted. "Is everyone all right in there?!"

"Everyone's fine," Marlo said lightly, coming around the house. Phoebe whipped her head around, but let out a relieved sigh. "Can I help you?"

_Then…_

Regina went out riding. After the fiasco with that doctor, she'd done research behind her teacher's back. Today, she was out alone, in her simple riding clothes. The eighteen year old queen didn't _need_ guards anyways, not with her magic. And she was prepared for her hunt, with more than a few spells at her disposal to capture this creature.

A _phoenix_ had powerful magic, and they were able to resurrect themselves, so she had high hopes. She came to a tree and dismounted her horse. She patted Rocinante's neck gently and tied the reigns to a low branch. She conjured a trough of water for him and moved to adjust her coat and boots. She couldn't barrel in with her usual tactics, as she'd heard that her prey was rather elusive.

She finished arranging herself and started into the forest. She wouldn't admit it, but it felt nice to be out in nature alone for the first real time since she'd become queen. She wandered through the trees, trying to act as though she was lost. She hoped that the act would draw her prey out.

She found a stream and followed it. The sound of the flowing water relaxed her and she almost started to question herself. She stopped that line of thinking, knowing it was too late for her to turn back. There was nothing for her to turn back to.

Phoebe had been hiding deep in the forest. She had gotten wind of hunters in the area. She had been living there so peacefully for a while. She wondered why they had to start coming after her again. She was always careful. She didn't shift forms or use her power around anyone. So how did they know she was there?

Sighing to herself, she peeked out of the cave she had holed herself up in. Seeing no one around, she thought it might be a good time to go out to bathe and find some food.

Phoebe left the cave, making her way to the stream to wash up and get a drink before she went in search of food. She jumped at every little sound that came from the trees, so scared it was hunters coming for her. As she drew closer to the sound of the flowing water, she noticed that someone was indeed there.

She hid behind a tree, peeking around it to watch her. It was another woman, wearing very regal clothes. Perhaps it was a noble. She _did_ look like she was lost. Very slowly, Phoebe came out of her hiding spot, but kept her distance.

"Are you lost?" she called to the woman, approaching slowly. She took a few more steps towards the woman, but kept some distance between them.

_Now…_

Henry went to the stables with Neal. He couldn't help but yawn a little. It was a weekend, he didn't want to be up this early.

"What's with the yawn?" Neal questioned. "You don't act tired when we're doing Operation Scorpion stuff."

"I couldn't sleep," he complained.

"Right…me either. But anyways. Your grandfather wanted me to bring you by and get you started on 'knight training'." They walked into the stable. "So…say hello to your steed."

"Is… _he_ mine?" he questioned, stepping towards a grey stallion.

"This one's yours," Neal corrected him, guiding a dappled horse out of a stall.

"Really?" he couldn't help but sound a little disappointed.

Marlo smiled brightly at her visitor. Something about her seemed special.

"Oh, I truly hope you can," she replied, returning the smile. "There is a rumour around town that you have access to magic. Is…is it true?" she questioned, looking hopeful.

"Yes, I do…," Marlo answered, a little surprised it was only a rumour. "But magic works differently in this realm than in any other I've been to," she warned. "Why don't you come in for some tea and we can chat?"

"I…wouldn't know…," the guest sighed, looking at tattoos marking her wrists. "I can't use mine…" She shook her head a little and smiled again. "Tea would be lovely, thank you."

"My name here is Marlo, by the way." The gypsy stepped to the door and moved to open it. Observing the other's behaviour, she guessed that the tattoos where a sort of seal.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Marlo. My name is Phoebe."

"We don't exactly use 'normal' magic in this family," Marlo stated as she opened the door and led Phoebe to the kitchen.

"What do you mean, you don't use 'normal' magic?" Phoebe questioned, following.

"Unlike most others, we honour that 'all magic comes with a price' and offer something of equivalent value to what we're trying to accomplish," she explained, gesturing to the kitchen table. "Make yourself at home," she continued. "I'll get the water going. What sort of tea do you prefer?" Without looking to see Phoebe's reaction, she went into the kitchen and filled a kettle with water.

"Jasmine tea would be lovely," the woman answered, taking a seat at the table. "Seems you understand the balance of magic a lot better than some people in this town," she added, looking around.

As Marlo began putting the tea together, Phoebe contemplated just what the price would be to fix her wing, or even to simply break the spell Regina had cast upon her.

"I was around when the Original Dark One was alive," the gypsy said softly. "You learn things over the years…"

"You are no ordinary human if you were around during _that_ time," she commented, looking Marlo over. The scent of the dried jasmine reached her and she couldn't help but relax a little.

_Then…_

The voice surprised Regina. She'd heard that the phoenix was a shape shifting creature, but she hadn't anticipated it being a female. She'd have to change her plans and adapt, but maybe she could still work the situation to her advantage. Given the area, even if this really was her target, she was sure that she wouldn't be recognized immediately as a queen.

"A little…I got separated from my guards," she lied smoothly. "And then I got turned around trying to get back…" She turned her head towards the ground, feigning embarrassment as she looked the woman over. _This has to be the creature_ , she decided.

Phoebe eyed the woman warily. Her story seemed plausible enough. She certainly _looked_ the type to have guards. But Phoebe didn't trust anyone these days. She could lead her out, but she would make sure to lead her in the opposite direction from her hiding spot. It would take longer, but make her feel better about the situation in the long run.

"I can lead you out," she offered after a moment's contemplation. "I know these woods very well."

"I'd really appreciate the help," the other replied, managing a small smile. With a nod, Phoebe motioned for the woman to follow her.

"Follow me," she said aloud, turning. "I'll get you to the main road. I'm sure you'll find your guards there," she continued as she started walking. As she went, she continually looked over her shoulder at the woman, to make sure she was keeping up.

She fell behind rather quickly, clearly not accustomed to moving through wooded areas as she continuously tripped and stumbled about. "So…what brings you to these woods?"

"We were on our way to…some festival or other," the woman's tone was flippant, as if she didn't care enough about the event to remember just what it was. Or she'd been to so many that she just lost track. Phoebe was almost certain it was the first. "I needed to stretch my legs and have some…privacy," she continued.

A glance back at the woman showed an embarrassed tint to her cheeks. "I just got turned around on my way back." With a soft sigh, Phoebe stopped to let her catch up. She'd have to make sure her companion didn't injure herself.

"Are you all right?" Phoebe questioned, concerned.

"I'm fine," was the reply. "I just…haven't spent this much time outside in…it feels like years." A level of sincerity rang in the woman's tone. "I'm…Cora, by the way."

"My name is Phoebe," she gave her own name, wondering what sort of title could cause that sort of hesitation from the noblewoman. "It is nice to meet you, Cora." Of course, she didn't question the hesitation.

Regina stifled a grimace at using her _mother's_ name, but she could see her quarry's guard drop. Beyond the fact that she was sure that the woman was used to being hunted by clumsy men, that for all their claimed hunting prowess simply stumbled about the forest worse than any shut-in noble. She was lucky that she was only pretending to be clumsy and hadn't stumbled over anything unintentionally.

As they continued walking, she knew she was running out of time. If they reached the edge of the forest, she'd lose the chance to capture the phoenix. It would be much harder to convince Phoebe of innocence a second time, and she'd have to employ disguising magic that she hadn't quite mastered just yet.

Seizing her last opportunity, she made herself stumble over a particularly large and overgrown root. As she fell forward, she cried out in pain as her big toe began unexpectedly throbbing from the impact. _My time shut in with guards and no time in the wild made my feet go soft_ , she thought bitterly. Just a year ago, she wouldn't have been hurt by a stupid root.

Phoebe immediately stopped in her tracks and whipped around, seeing her on the ground. She knelt down beside her, reaching to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" she questioned. "What happened?" She couldn't help the worry in her tone.

"I just stubbed my toe…," Cora sighed, pulling herself to her feet. Phoebe lent her a hand, and was surprised when the woman gripped her wrist tightly.

 _I should have known…_ , she thought bitterly.

_There…_

Mulan watched as Aurora tended to the survivor. She, Emma and Mary Margaret were discussing how to deal with him. She knew him at least. But she could tell that Emma wasn't as quick to trust him.

"You _have_ seen him before?" the blonde questioned, not for the first time.

"Yes," she answered, yet again. "I've seen him around. He's a blacksmith…came to our camp a couple of months ago," she sighed. "Said he lost his hand in an ogre attack…"

"Why would Cora leave a survivor?" Emma questioned. "It's messy, it doesn't make sense."

"You think he's lying?" she demanded. Emma picked up a cup and filled it with water from the stores. She turned it in her hand, clearly planning something.

"I think Cora tricked us before," she sighed. "I don't want that to happen again." Mulan frowned and watched as Emma stepped over to the smithy and put the cup on the table in front of him. "Here you go."

"I can't thank you enough for your kindness," he sighed, taking the cup in his hand. "Fortune, it seems, has seen fit to show me favour."

Emma narrowed her eyes. He didn't talk like she figured a blacksmith would talk. Or even a survivor of such a traumatic event as this one. And while her mother wanted to believe that it was all Cora's doing, the bloodier victims appeared more like they'd been stabbed with something non-magical. Whether he was just a lucky survivor, or not, he could tell them if she had an accomplice.

"An island full of corpses…," she started. "You're the only one to escape. How _exactly_ did that happen?"

"She attacked at night…," he answered. "Slaughtered everyone in one fell swoop. When she started ripping out peoples' hearts, I hid under the bodies of those who had already been killed. Pretended to be dead myself. Must be the ruse worked…"

"So much for fortune favouring the brave," she sighed. Sure, she'd been taught in school to do just that in the event of a school shooting or similar, but his story didn't add up. There was clearly a second attacker. Why would Cora magically rip out some hearts and then switch to a sword or dagger to simply stab the rest and make a mess?

"It was all I could do to survive," he explained.

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," she said, sitting at the table across from him. "I am pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me."

"I am telling you the truth," he insisted. She narrowed her eyes.

"We should leave here," Mulan sighed. "In case Cora decides to come back."

"We should start searching for a new portal back to Storybrooke," Mary Margaret added. "I only got about five minutes with my husband, not to mention my grandson."

Emma frowned a little, about to say something. Mary Margaret had gotten a good few _months_ with David. Sure, they'd been cursed, but it counted for something, right? On top of the fact that she still didn't trust this supposed blacksmith.

"You have a grandson?" he questioned, almost eagerly.

"Long story…," Mary Margaret sighed.

"Well, I know this land well, I can guide you…," he offered, a little too quickly. Frowning, Emma jumped up and drew her dagger. She held it to his throat

"You're not gonna guide us anywhere until you tell us who you really are," she snapped.

_Now…_

After she finished cleaning up after her father's death, Lacey went to the library. Her phone went off and she checked it. The alert was a text from Regina.

 _I need some help at the hospital_ , was the message. Concerned, Lacey made sure the doors to the library were locked and then she hurried to the hospital.

_Then…_

At first, Phoebe wanted to think that Cora had only grabbed her to steady herself, but when she didn't let go, her fears were realized.

"You're hurting me…," she said, calling attention to the woman's hand on her wrist.

"Am I?" the woman questioned, her tone dark. Phoebe flinched as her grip tightened.

"Release me…you do not know what you are dealing with…," she spoke slowly, in a low tone, but her eyes blazed orange. She cursed herself for allowing herself to start to trust this woman.

"Oh, I know _exactly_ what I'm dealing with," the woman sneered, pulling some twine out of her coat pocket. She tried to bind Phoebe's wrists and she jerked her hand back.

"No, I really don't think you do," she snapped, the twine burning to nothing. She practically leapt away from the woman. "Why can't you damn hunters just leave me alone?!" she demanded.

Regina scoffed, glad that she'd thought to create a backup of the spell she needed to bind her. Of course, she'd expected setbacks. It was the first time she'd personally gone after something she wanted.

"Don't compare me to hunters," she snapped. Everyone else had failed her previously, so she had to figuratively get her hands dirty. Quickly, she reevaluated her plan. Of course, dealing with a phoenix, her _preferred_ fire spells wouldn't be much use to her. So, she lifted her hands and attempted one of her mother's spells: enchanting the trees in an attempt to snatch the other woman up and hold her still.

"You are no better than they are…," Phoebe almost growled. Regina hated this spell, and she'd never used it personally, so she hoped that it would take effect before the phoenix could get away. "Sorceress…I should have known."

In a moment, the woman's form shimmered and she transformed into a magnificent phoenix, her feathers blazing brightly. The creature was more beautiful than Regina had imagined.

Phoebe flapped her massive wings and flew upward, hoping to navigate through the trees and be gone before the damned witch could finish casting whatever spell she was attempting. She almost reached the canopy when a branch wrapped itself around her leg and dragged her to the ground.

"I'd rather not have to injure you, Phoebe," the sorceress sighed as Phoebe landed on the ground with a thud. She lifted her head to glare at the woman. She looked at the branch holding her leg and set it ablaze, burning it off before she flew up to make another escape attempt.

The branches grabbed at her as she flew up and Phoebe weaved about, trying to avoid the reaching limbs. "I always get what I want, I hope you realize that! You're _not_ getting away from me!" she heard the woman call, though she didn't pay attention to the words. As she continued her attempts, a branch grasped her left wing.

She shrieked in pain as an audible crack came from her wing as the branch broke the appendage. She fell to the ground, landing hard on her freshly broken wing.

_Now…_

Lacey arrived at the hospital and went to find Regina. As she walked, she was questioned about her injuries from the day before. She brushed them off, saying she was attending business and fine. She found Regina near the operating room.

"What's going on, Regina?" she questioned.

"I can't find Dr. Whale. I need to talk to him," the woman explained.

"Then I'll help." She glanced around before casting a small tracking spell. "He's in there." She pointed to the operating room. Regina nodded and they went inside.

"Dr. Whale?" Regina called. The smell of blood hit Lacey's nose and she covered her mouth with her hand. The room was a right mess, blood everywhere. A light had fallen from the ceiling and was hanging by a wire.

Lacey watched as Regina waded through the chaos. Shaking her head, Lacey joined her. The mayor stumbled back suddenly, bumping into the flickering light. Lacey moved to steady her and noticed what had startled her. A severed arm was on the operating table, the cut jagged and almost as if it had been torn by a strong hand rather than cut.

"Whale," Regina called frantically, hurrying around the room. "Whale!" she gasped as she shoved the table aside. Lacey saw the doctor on the ground, partially hidden by a fallen cabinet. She waved a hand to move the cabinet.

Regina knelt by the doctor as Lacey moved to grab something to stem his bleeding. "I know you took Daniel's body," Regina said softly. "And you took one of my hearts." Lacey frowned as she pulled some bandages out of a cabinet. "Why?"

"Lift him up…," Lacey said softly as she knelt in the pooled blood. Regina did as she said and she began binding the wound.

"Why?!" Regina shouted at Whale. "Did you bring him back?" she lowered her voice.

"I did it…," the doctor said, looking at them blankly.

"He's alive?" Lacey gasped, surprised. Bringing the dead back to life…that held a steep price.

"Yes," was his reply. "I brought him back, but…he's not Daniel…"

"What?" Regina demanded.

"He's…he's a monster…," he whispered before passing out. Lacey glanced at Regina, gauging her reaction.

_Then…_

Regina watched Phoebe fall, a triumphant smile forming. When the phoenix landed, she walked over to her and pushed her over with her foot. She'd hoped to capture the creature without injuring her so she could make better use of her powers, but in the end she'd managed to succeed.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll give up this pointless struggle," she sneered. She stepped back as the injured creature snapped at her ankle. She made a face and stepped on her broken wing. "None of that," she snapped. "Keep this up and you'll have more than a broken wing when I'm done with you." Phoebe shifted back to her human form, clutching her left shoulder as she did.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she demanded. "What have I ever done to you?"

"Of _course_ you didn't do anything to me," Regina laughed. "I don't _need_ a reason to do what I have to in order to get what I _want_." She reached into her coat and gripped the leather cord hidden there. She gave a snide smile. "Now…we can do this the _easy_ way, and you come quietly…," she said sharply.

The queen crouched and reached with her free hand, threatening to plunge it into Phoebe's chest. "Or I take your heart and _force_ you to do my bidding."

"Fine," the other relented after a long moment. "I'll cooperate."

"Good." With a smile, she bound Phoebe's hands with the leather cord. The spell burned a set of tattoos into the woman's wrists.

_Now…_

As the other doctors tended to Whale, Lacey questioned Regina about the situation. Apparently, Whale wasn't from their land, and his name before the curse was Victor Frankenstein. Lacey was about to warn her that if her former lover really had been brought back from the dead, he likely wasn't the same, when David approached them.

"What's going on? I just got a call that Dr. Whale was attacked," he snapped, looking at Regina.

"You'll have to ask his doctors," the woman sighed.

"No, I'm asking you," he insisted.

"I came here to speak with him and discovered he was hurt," Regina snapped.

"It's the truth. I was with her," Lacey said sharply when David gave a look of disbelief.

"What else?" he insisted. "What did you come here to speak with him about?" Clearly the man wasn't going to acknowledge Lacey's words, so she stepped back to keep an eye on the situation.

"Someone from my past," the former mayor sighed. "I believe he's come back. Daniel…his name is Daniel."

"The man you were supposed to marry," David stated, recognizing the name. "Snow told me what happened, and…how it was her fault that he _died_."

"Yes…he did."

Marlo smiled a little as she poured the water into her teapot and set the tea to steep. Of course she wasn't entirely human anymore, but she would keep things simple. She knew that Phoebe was clearly there for more than small talk.

"My connection to magic is what keeps me this way," she explained, retrieving two cups. "Do you take sugar or crème with your tea?"

"Ah, no thank you," Phoebe laughed softly. She let out a happy sounding sigh and Marlo smiled brightly at her as she put a bit of crème into her own cup along with a spoonful of sugar. "I'm fine."

"All right then," she replied, putting the teapot and the cups on a tray along with a small plate of tarts for herself. She picked up the tray and took it to the table. She sat down and began pouring the tea. "So, what do you need?" Phoebe took her cup and took a long sip.

"I was hoping that you would be able to help me with my broken wing," she said lightly, rubbing her left shoulder with her free hand.

"Wing?" she questioned, taking another look at the woman. "You must be a phoenix?" She'd figured as much, but left it as a question to allow Phoebe to verify.

"Yes, I am," was the reply as Phoebe sipped at her tea. "Back in the Enchanted Forest, my wing was broken and then I was bound in human form," she explained, swirling the liquid in her teacup. "As a human, I cannot heal my wing myself and it aches constantly."

"Is the seal visible?" Marlo questioned, setting her cup down. "I don't think I could do anything about your wing unless I could get a portal open to another realm to get ingredients." She paused, considering options. After the catastrophic failure of her earlier spell, she didn't want to get Phoebe's hopes up about more than releasing the seal.

She reached for a tart and turned the plate a little. "You're sure you don't want a tart? It's a special recipe from Wonderland." Phoebe shook her head a little and held out her wrists.

"It was Regina…that cast the spell…," the phoenix explained as Marlo popped a tart into her mouth. She looked the tattoos over, wondering just how young Regina had been when she'd cast such a crude seal.

Henry was brushing his horse's mane after he finished the rest of his chores in the stable. He'd spent the majority of the day in the stall, working. He'd started passing the time by talking to the horse. If nothing else, he had someone that could only listen to his ideas and worries. Already, he'd told the horse his short life story.

"So…," he said after a while. "Dad says that you'll tell me when I'm ready to ride you, so…anytime. Like…soon?"

Suddenly, the horses in other stalls started making noise and trying to flee. Concerned, Henry stepped off of his stool and started to investigate. His horse whinnied and took off, knocking him to the ground in the process. He blinked and saw that a man was standing in the stall with him.

_There…_

Emma stood back as Mulan tied the survivor to a tree. Mary Margaret and Aurora were sifting through the camp, gathering what they could as far as supplies went.

"I already told you," the man argued. "I'm just a blacksmith."

"Sure you are," Emma snapped. As Mary Margaret and Aurora joined them, she gave a loud whistle. "You don't want to talk to us? Maybe you'll talk to the ogres while they rip you limb from limb." She turned to the others. "Come on." She nodded a little to them and they started to leave.

"What?" he questioned. "You…you can't just leave me here like this!"

"What if he's telling the truth?" Aurora demanded.

"He's not," Emma sighed. She had to trust her gut on this, and her gut was telling her that this guy was bad news.

"Good for you!" he called. "You bested me. I can count the amount of people who've done that on one hand." Emma growled and turned back to him.

"Is that supposed to be _funny_?" she snapped. "Who are you?"

"Killian Jones," he answered lightly. "But most people have taken to calling me by my more colourful moniker…Hook."

"Hook?" Mary Margaret muttered.

"Check my satchel," he sighed.

"As in Captain Hook?" Emma questioned, not believing him. She glanced at Mary Margaret to see that her mother was removing a hook from the satchel. The ground shook a little as the ogres came closer.

"Ah, so you've heard of me," he said, sounding proud of that.

"You better hurry up," she snapped. "They're getting closer. So unless you wanna be dinner, you better start talking." She leaned against the tree and narrowed her eyes at him, scrutinizing his every move.

"Cora wanted me to gain your trust, so I could learn everything there is to know about your Storybrooke," he told her. "She didn't want any surprises when she finally got over there."

"She can't get there," Mary Margaret cut in. "We destroyed the wardrobe." Internally, Emma groaned. Mary Margaret just _couldn't_ let her do things her own way.

"Ah," he laughed. "But the enchantment remains. Cora gathered the ashes. She's gonna use them to open a portal." The sounds of the ogres approaching got louder. "Now…if you'll kindly cut me loose…"

"No," Mulan snapped. "We should leave him here to die to pay for all the lives that he took."

"That was Cora, not me," he argued. But Emma knew from the crime scene that he was lying, beyond the fact that she could just tell anyways. She shook her head and turned.

"Let's go," she told the others. The four women started to leave. After all, there was no real _need_ to let him live.

"Wait," he called. She gently stopped Aurora from turning back. "Wait!" He tried again. "You _need_ me alive," he insisted.

"Why?" Emma groaned, turning back to him.

"Because we both want the same thing," he snapped. "To get back to your land."

"You would say anything to save yourself," she sighed. "Why are we supposed to believe you now?"

"I arranged for transport with Cora, but…seeing how resourceful you are, I'll offer you the same deal: I'll help you if you promise to take me along," he said. Emma didn't buy it. He'd already admitted to working for Cora, and she didn't doubt if he was that willing to change allegiances the first time, the likelihood of him turning on them at the drop of a hat was pretty strong.

"How are _you_ going to help us get home?" Mary Margaret demanded before Emma could say anything.

"The ashes will open a portal, but to find your land, she needs more," he explained. "There's an enchanted compass. Cora seeks it. I'll help you obtain it before she does."

"So Cora won't make it to Storybrooke, and we'll be one step closer to getting home," Emma guessed.

"Sounds too good to be true," Mary Margaret added. Emma glanced at her mother, frowning.

"There's only one way to find out," Hook said with a smirk. The ogres became louder and Emma sighed, deciding to give him a shot.

"You tell me one thing, and whatever you say, I'd _better_ believe it," she snapped. "Why does _Captain Hook_ want to go to Storybrooke?"

"To exact revenge on the man who took my hand," he said, surprisingly truthful after all the previous lies. " _Rumplestiltskin_."

 _Gold_ , she thought sourly.

_Now…_

Henry stared at the figure looming over him. Something about him was off, and he was honestly terrified. But more importantly, the horses were still loud and upset.

"You…," he started. "You gotta stop," he tried. The man only flinched a little. "Listen you're…you're scaring the horses."

Again, the man made no response. Then, Henry noticed the blood on his hands. "Are…are…," he stammered a little. "Are you hurt? Can I help you?" He started to get up and reached for the man's bloody hand to check for wounds.

The stranger flinched and stepped back. "Let me help you," he offered. Before he could react, the man grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. He gasped and tried to somehow get free.

"Daniel!" Regina shouted. Henry continued struggling. "Let him go!" Finally, the man dropped him and as Henry caught his breath, someone pulled him out of the stall. Looking up, he realized it was David.

 _What is going on?_ He wondered.

Marlo set her cup down and further examined the tattoos on Phoebe's wrists. The seal was crude enough that it would be easy enough to break, but she wasn't sure she had all the ingredients she'd need to work the spell. She made a small noise as she pondered.

"Well…," she started, giving a wide smile. "This will be simple to break. I'll just need a bit of time to get the proper ingredients," she told Phoebe, who lit up at the declaration.

"You…you can?!" Phoebe gasped. "I didn't think…her magic is so _strong_ …"

"Strong…yes," she agreed. "But every curse or spell can be broken, no matter how strong." She picked up another tart and popped it into her mouth before standing.

Phoebe watched, excited and hopeful as she watched Marlo turn to the cabinets. She couldn't help but smile brightly as she felt a joy that she hadn't felt in a long time. Would she be able to _fly_ again; to feel the wind in her feathers again?

"The tricky part will be making sure I have everything I'll need," Marlo continued, opening the cabinets. Phoebe watched as the woman sifted through jars and vials of herbs and liquids that she couldn't immediately name.

"What can I do to help?" she questioned eagerly. "Anything I can get?"

"Well…I'm missing one ingredient," Marlo sighed, pulling several containers out of the cabinet. "If you could go to the library…or maybe the sheriff's station…and see if you can find Belle, she might have what I need in her workshop." Offhandedly, she wondered just how many sorcerers were really in Storybrooke. "If not, I'll have to see about getting a portal open to Wonderland to find it…," Marlo continued with a sigh.

"Absolutely!" Phoebe agreed. "I'd be more than happy to!" She was absolutely thrilled. This put her one step closer to being freed. "What is the missing ingredient?"

"A painted rose," was the simple answer. "Preferably a white rose painted red from the Queen of Hearts' garden."

"And…it _has_ to be from that queen's garden?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "We couldn't just paint one ourselves?"

"Everything in Wonderland has magic of its own," Marlo explained. "Using something with its own magic will keep the spell from backfiring on us, as happened when you arrived. So yes, it has to be from her garden." That made sense to Phoebe, so she nodded a little. She certainly didn't want this to blow up in their faces.

"All right," she said, standing. "I'll head to the library and see if Belle has what we need." She smiled at Marlo. "Thank you for all your help. I'll be back as soon as possible."

"All right," Marlo agreed. "I'll set everything up in the meantime."

_Then…_

Regina smiled as Phoebe surrendered at last. And not a moment too soon. She wouldn't readily admit it, but after exerting so much effort just trying to capture the phoenix, Regina was rather tired.

 _Not the ideal situation_ , she thought. _But it will work_. "Now…," she said aloud, waving her hands, teleporting Phoebe and herself to her horse. "Let's go home."

Phoebe looked down at her wrists, sighing again. She could feel the magic from the tattoos there, working to bind her completely.

"So, what do you plan on doing with me?" she questioned, even though she had a good guess as to the answer.

"I'm sure you know the answer to that," the sorceress answered lightly. "With as strong as Phoenix magic is…," she trailed off, untying a horse. "Come along," she instructed, climbing into the saddle.

With another sigh, she followed her captor. She knew the answer even before she had asked. But at least as long as she wanted to use her power, Phoebe knew the woman would keep her alive. They rode to a castle in silence.

When they arrived, the woman started throwing orders around and Phoebe could have sworn she heard at least one person refer to the woman as 'your majesty'. A sorceress and a queen then. The one order that surprised her was that a room was to be prepared for her. Wasn't she a prisoner?

"I tried to take you without hurting you," _Regina_ said, turning to Phoebe at last. There was only one queen she knew of that was a dark sorceress. "Just know that if you try to run, my dungeons are _far_ worse than most others."

Phoebe wanted to snap right back at her, but she held her tongue. She only nodded in reply, rubbing her aching shoulder. She sighed to herself, knowing that she wouldn't be able to heal her broken wing while bound in this form.

_Now…_

Regina watched as David and Henry left the stables. She wasn't sure how she was going to face this…particularly since she really had moved past what happened to Daniel. She had to face him though, so she unlocked the stall and opened the door.

Daniel was leaning against a wall, hunched a little. He flinched at the light in the room and stepped towards her, a bit of a limp in his step. He started to reach for her cheek and Regina smiled a little at him, hoping that he at least recognized her. She'd changed a lot since she was sixteen and they were planning to run away together. His expression suddenly hardened and he grabbed her neck, slamming her against the nearest wall.

"Daniel," she gasped out, choking. "Please! Stop…it's me…Regina…" His expression softened and he released her.

"Regina…," he murmured. A flood of memories came back to her and she hugged him.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, pulling away from him after a moment. "I didn't ask him to bring you back…I've moved on."

Just as she finished speaking, his face distorted and he attacked her again. She flinched and stopped him with magic. "I love someone else now…rest in peace…" She clenched her hand and he turned to dust. "Good bye…"

_There…_

Emma watched Hook closely as they walked along. She had her hand in her pocket, gripping the compact inside. They came to a ridge and stopped to let Aurora rest.

"Up ahead," the pirate started, pointing over the ridge. "We'll find the compass just over the ridge." He started again, ignoring the need to rest if only for a minute. Emma shook her head a little.

"Mulan, you and Aurora can catch up, right?" she questioned. Mulan nodded in agreement and Emma started after Hook with Mary Margaret.

"Do you get the feeling he's leading us exactly where Cora wants us?" Mary Margaret muttered. "That this whole thing's a trap?"

"It's definitely a trap," Emma agreed. "As long as we know they're trying to play us, we can—"

"Stay one step ahead of them," Mary Margaret cut her off. She rolled her eyes and pulled the mirror out of her pocket.

"Exactly…," she murmured, turning the mirror in her hand.

"What's that?" her mother questioned.

"A gift…from Regina," she replied.

"You know…we need to talk about that. You know what Regina did, Emma."

"I know. But she's changed," Emma snapped. "Besides, I'm twenty-nine years old. You can't control who I fall in love with." She looked ahead and saw a giant beanstalk in the middle of a field. She turned her attention to Hook. "Let me guess…the compass is up there?"

"Oh, yeah," Hook agreed, smirking.

"So…," Emma groaned. "How do we…get to it?"

"It's not the climb you need to worry about," he said nonchalantly. Emma rolled her eyes, knowing the dangers of climbing something without proper safety equipment. "It's the giant at the top."

 _Oh yes_ , she thought sourly. _Because a_ giant _is worse than a thousand foot fall._

_Now…_

Phoebe smiled back at Marlo before heading out the door. She jogged down the path to the street.

Lacey went into the library and straight up to her workshop. She retrieved a basket and headed back downstairs. She went into the elevator and magically lowered it to the lowest basement. She knew that Regina could do what she needed to do to take care of the problem with Whale's 'monster', so Lacey planned to focus her efforts on the portal.

She had found a spell that required water from a Well of Wonders and dragon scales. If she was right, the well at the edge of town was the realm's Well of Wonders, but she had to be sure. For the moment, she stepped out of the elevator and started searching for some dragon scales. Within moments, Lacey found a dozen or more scales, so she gathered as many as she could into her basket.

Mission accomplished, Lacey went back to the elevator and waved a hand to power the elevator upwards. Just as she reached the Library's lobby, the door opened and a young woman stepped inside. Lacey recognized her as Phoebe, the veterinary assistant that she and Henry had interviewed during the incident with Pongo being injured.

"Hello?" the woman said softly, looking for a reply.

"The library isn't open yet," Lacey said lightly, setting her basket on the desk. She had a feeling that Phoebe wasn't there for a book. "But can I help you?"

"I'm terribly sorry to bother you," Phoebe started. "But I was hoping you could help me?" She gave a soft smile as she spoke. "Marlo sent me to see about a painted rose from Wonderland…do you know about them?"

"A Wonderland rose…?" Lacey murmured, considering. "I might have one left."

"Really?" Phoebe lit up at her words. "If you do, I would gladly pay you for it."

"Let me go check," she said lightly, picking up the basket. "If you want to look around while I go upstairs, feel free," she continued. She turned without waiting for a response, going upstairs.

She set her basket of scales on a table and looked through her various potion and spell ingredients, sure she was taking much longer than she should have as she had been so busy with research that she hadn't gone through her workshop since the curse. Finally, Lacey found a rose preserved in a jar, the white tips showing under the painted surface of the petals.

Phoebe waited with baited breath as she waited for Lacey to return. She was too nervous about this spell to even glance around the library, or even wonder what the town's acting sheriff was doing with magical materials in the building. Finally, Lacey returned with a jar in hand. The rose inside looked as if it had just been painted and picked.

"This is my last one," the deputy stated, holding the jar out to her. "And I have no need for payment." Phoebe's hands almost shook as she reached and took the apparent key to her freedom.

"Are you sure?" she questioned. "I will gladly pay," she offered, unable to stop herself from smiling broadly.

"Really," Lacey insisted. "Though you _can_ tell Marlo that she can steal a whole bush for me the next time she goes to Wonderland."

"Thank you," Phoebe said, hugging Lacey without thinking. "Thank you so much." She paused, realizing that she might have overstepped her bounds. She pulled back, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized quickly. "I should have asked. I'm so, so sorry," she continued.

Lacey couldn't help but chuckle at Phoebe's fumbling. "This just…means a lot to me."

"Don't worry about it," she encouraged. "I enjoy helping people. And, I'm sure that Marlo gave my name as Belle, but I answer to Lacey or Deputy French here."

"Thank you, Lacey," Phoebe smiled and bowed a little, cradling the rose in its jar carefully in her hands. She exited the library, jogging back to Marlo's house.

Lacey watched the woman leave, smiling softly. She heard the secret door open and glanced over to see Neal stepping out of the hidden room.

"Are you dealing now too?" he questioned.

"No, just helping someone out," she answered. "I only strike deals if I know someone can do something for me in the long run."

Marlo was behind the cottage, mixing ingredients on a marble table. Fortunately, her hair was tamed and pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head. She had high hopes for the success of this spell, mostly because of how crudely cast the seal on Phoebe's powers was. It was always easier to destroy a spell that was cast with the sorcerer looking down their nose at a spell book.

"Marlo?" Phoebe called. Marlo looked up to see the phoenix stepping around the cottage.

"Welcome back," she greeted. "How did it go?"

"I'd say it went pretty well," Phoebe replied, holding out the prize: a perfectly preserved rose. Marlo contained her surprise at Belle's skill in the spells used to keep it in such a state.

"Excellent," she said lightly, taking the jar. "I almost have everything ready." She set the jar down on the table and beckoned Phoebe closer to the workspace. "Now…I'll warn you: Magic works differently here, so this might end up backfiring on us still."

"If there is even a small chance that you can remove the spell," Phoebe said with a nod. "I will hold onto a shred of hope."

 _A lovely attitude_ , Marlo thought, smiling softly in understanding. "Well, I'll do my best," she agreed aloud. She turned her attention back to the ingredients on the table, opening the jar gently.

Phoebe watched in awe as Marlo worked. Potionmaking had never been something she'd dabbled in, but Marlo seemed more than proficient in it. The woman gently pulled the rose out of its jar and yanked the petals from the stem roughly. She dropped the petals into a bowl and then poured other prepared ingredients in with them.

She could barely contain her excitement at the chance of freedom. Marlo ground the ingredients into a paste and then mixed a blue liquid into the red coloured paste with the rose's stem. A sweet smell came from the mixture, but it was also a sour smell.

"Hold out your hands, please," Marlo instructed when she finished mixing. Phoebe nodded and held her hands out as directed. "This will probably burn a little."

"Burning, I can handle," Phoebe replied, keeping her hands still. Marlo fashioned the rose stem into a spoon with a bit of magical energy. Using that spoon, Marlo scooped the paste from the bowl and smeared it along the seals on Phoebe's wrists, muttering an incantation under her breath. Before she'd even finished spreading the paste, the seals began burning.

Phoebe gritted her teeth and balled her fists, surprised at the pain but determined to endure it. She closed her eyes, letting the burning sensation spread throughout her body as Marlo began another incantation. After a moment, the pain became almost unbearable and she bowed her head as she tried to endure it. Then, quite suddenly, the pain was gone. Surprised, Phoebe's eyes snapped open.

The paste had vanished and as she lifted her head, the seals seemed to pull away from her skin and almost explode, leaving her wrists blank. Power surged through the phoenix's body immediately and she straightened up a bit. As she realized just what this meant, several torches and a nearby fireplace burst into life. Phoebe let out a deep breath, one she felt she had been holding forever.

"I'm free…," she whispered, almost not believing it.

"Congratulations," Marlo said with a smile. A rag appeared in the woman's hand and she began to clean up the workspace. Phoebe stopped her, pulling her into a grateful hug.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much!" Tears came to her eyes. "I can never thank you enough!"

"No need to thank me," Marlo laughed. "I enjoy helping people."

"If I can ever do anything for you…anything at all, please…let me know."

"I generally don't ask for payment," the woman replied. "You don't owe me anything."

"Thank you," Phoebe repeated, smiling warmly as she backed away. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Marlo insisted. "You go enjoy your freedom."

"Thank you, again," she said, bowing low to the woman. She straightened back up and left, waving as she went to the path.

_Then…_

Regina smirked and went into her castle, leaving her guards to escort Phoebe inside and on a tour of where she was allowed to go. The queen went to her rooms, considering her success. She sat at her vanity and looked in her mirror, watching as Phoebe sat on her new bed and moped. If all went well, she could reach both of her goals, both revenge against Snow for Daniel's death _and_ returning life to her true love.

_There…_

After Mulan and Aurora caught up to the group, Emma stepped back, saying she needed a few minutes rest. Thankfully, Mary Margaret didn't join her. The blond leaned against a tree and opened her compact. Looking into the mirror, she saw what looked like the inside of the Storybrooke Library.

She could see Neal and Lacey standing by the distribution desk, talking. If she concentrated, she could almost hear what they were saying.

"I might have found a solution," Lacey was saying. "But I need to make sure the well is actually this realm's Well of Wonders."

"I thought that only existed in Wonderland," Neal argued.

"No, every realm has a Well of Wonders. They go by different names. Like in our land, it was called Lake Nostos. The lake was fed by the well, so the rules were different, but we won't be taking any of the water for this spell."

"What spell?" Regina questioned, entering the library. Emma frowned, seeing that the woman looked upset about something.

"We may have a way to get Emma and Mary Margaret back to Storybrooke," Neal told her. Regina lit up.

"Really?"

"If I'm right about the well at the edge of town…," Lacey sighed. Emma blinked in surprise. The well…Lake Nostos…it all sounded familiar to her. Unfortunately, Mary Margaret joined her and she had to close the compact. She didn't want her mother to know about the mirror thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phoebe the Phoenix is the OC of [phoenixwithabrokenwing](http://phoenixwithabrokenwing.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr and she helped to write this chapter.


	6. Tallahassee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Emma was sixteen, she ran away from the orphanage and met Neal Cassidy, a teen runaway. Emma and Hook battle a giant to find a compass.

_There…_

They arrived at the beanstalk at last and Emma looked up as far as she could. Where was a magic broom when she needed one? She figured if she could set things on fire and talk to Regina through a mirror, she could fly up a beanstalk on a stupid broom. Hell, she figured she could do just about anything if it meant being with Henry and Regina again. She recalled the conversation she'd overheard between Lacey, Neal, and Regina and wondered if they really needed the stupid compass.

She noticed Mulan and Mary Margaret muttering and rolled her eyes. She figured everyone was thinking this was an impossible task. If they fell after the first hundred feet up that thing, they were goners.

"Well, your compass awaits," Hook sighed. "Shall we?"

"Wait," Emma sighed, thinking about it. She wanted to say that someone had mentioned something about the magic beans creating portals somewhere. "If these beans…create portals…why not just pick one and go home?" She questioned. "Why the compass?"

"Because there aren't any more beans," was Hook's simple reply. "Whatever story you _think_ you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong."

"There was a guy named Jack and a cow and something about an evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose," she rambled off. "Or harp."

"Sounds like a lovely tale, but the truth's a little bit more gruesome," he said, almost mocking. "The giants grew the beans, but rather than use them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil giants. The beans were destroyed by the giants as they died," he explained. "If they couldn't have their magic, then nobody could. It's really, very bad form."

"Evil giants who made magic portal beans?" Emma questioned, not believing his story. Every other thing that came out of that pirate's mouth was a lie, so she had to figure out for herself what the truth was. "Why doesn't anyone just go up and grow some more?" she added as an afterthought.

"Because one giant survived…the strongest and most terrible of them all. And we'll have to get past him to—"

"The magic compass," Mary Margaret interrupted.

"Indeed," he sighed. "The treasure remains, and amongst it is the compass. Now, it will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we get it, steal the ashes from her, and we're on our way."

"How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass _for_ Cora?" Mulan demanded.

"Because you four are far safer company," he replied. "All I need is a ride back. I'll swear allegiance to whomever gets me there first."

"Then we'd better get climbing," Emma sighed, stepping forward.

"Right," he agreed. "Though…I failed to mention that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders."

"All right…," she groaned. _Convenient…_ , she thought sourly. "So how do we get up there?"

"I've got a counter spell from Cora," he started, extending his bound arms. "If you'd be so kind?" Mary Margaret reluctantly unbound him. "Thank you, milady. I've got one more of these," he continued, showing a black band on his wrist. "Cora was to accompany me. So…which one of you four lovelies shall take her place?"

Emma glanced at the others. Aurora didn't have the countenance for the activity, and Mulan seemed reluctant to leave the princess's side. Mary Margaret was really getting on Emma's nerves since they'd arrived in the Enchanted Forest. "Hmm?" Hook said when no one replied to his question. "Go on. Fight it out. Don't be afraid to, you know, really get into it."

His tone really set Emma off.

_Then…_

Emma Swan, a runaway at sixteen, had her dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail and a pair of cheap reading glasses on her face to (she hoped) disguise herself just enough to keep herself out of trouble. She stepped out of a gas station after discreetly stuffing her small pack with food and a couple of drinks. A glance around the deserted alley way showed her that there was an old, unattended VW Bug, one of the older models without an alarm system and an easy to shimmy locking mechanism.

She approached the vehicle and glanced around again before pulling an untwisted wire hanger out of her long sleeve. She quickly straightened it out enough to shimmy the lock and got into the car. It was just her luck that whoever had left the car had left the keys in the ignition. She smiled and turned the key before driving off.

As she went, she tossed her bag into the back seat. The action was immediately followed by a male grunt. She almost panicked, glancing back to see a man sit up.

"Impressive," he muttered. As if his words made him somehow more frightening to her, she screamed. "Cool it," he laughed.

"I just stole your car, and you're telling me to cool it?!" she shouted, throwing the wire hanger at him. "Your life could be in danger."

"Neal Cassidy," he told her his name, rather than replying to her.

"Yeah, I'm not telling you my name," she muttered, turning her attention back to the road.

"No, I don't need it to have you arrested while the robbery's in progress," he pointed out.

 _True…I don't know if I can trust him though…_ , she thought, considering. "Emma. Swan," she said aloud, gritting her teeth.

"Good name," he replied, his tone almost as if she'd had a _choice_ in her name. Emma was the name on her old baby blanket and Swan was just what they'd given her during all the paperwork after she'd been found.

"So, do you just live in here, or are you just waiting for the car to be stolen?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Why don't I tell you over drinks?"

"Excuse me?!" She glared at him, barely registering someone honking their horn at her.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Eyes on the road!"

"I am _not_ having drinks with you," she snapped, turning back to the road. "You might be a pervert."

"I might be a pervert," he laughed. "But you're _definitely_ a car thief."

"I said I was sorry," she lied.

"You didn't, actually," he muttered. "For throwing your bag _or_ your sharp ass hanger at me."

"The bag was an accident," she snapped. Lights started flashing behind them and a siren blared. _Shit, I am_ so _done for!_ She thought frantically. "Damn it…"

"That's why I said, 'eyes on the road'," he sighed as she pulled over. "Keep your eyes forward, I've got this." She rolled down the window as the officer approached.

"License and registration," the cop sighed, clearly not wanting to be there. Emma started to think how she could use it when Neal leaned forward.

"Terribly sorry, officer," he laughed. "But this is actually my car. I'm trying to teach my girlfriend how to drive stick."

"She's got a lot to learn," the officer noted, as if she wasn't there.

"I know," Neal sighed. "But, you know…women." She shot a glare at him.

"All right, I hear you," the cop sighed. "It's a warning… _this_ time."

"Yeah, thank you so much." The cop went back to his cruiser and Emma turned a little to glare at Neal.

"What are you, some sort of a misogynist?" she snapped.

"You're welcome," he sighed, glancing back. "Oh, go," he added as he moved into the front seat. "We got lucky."

"'We'?" she questioned. "This isn't your car either, is it?" she groaned.

"Hm?" he glanced at her.

"I stole a _stolen_ car?"

"Now…how about that drink?" he asked, grinning. Clearly he either couldn't tell that she was a teenager, didn't care, or he was about the same age as she was and not telling her. Now that she got a better look at him, he looked pretty young, probably about the same age as she was, so maybe he _wasn't_ a pervert, just a fellow runaway.

_There…_

Promptly, Mary Margaret and Mulan started arguing about who was better qualified to go up the beanstalk. Aurora joined in and Emma shook her head a little. She didn't trust Hook as far as she could throw him, and she couldn't trust Mary Margaret to do what might need to be done.

They didn't _need_ the pirate. And his allegiances were too flimsy. For all they knew he was lying the whole time and was planning on killing them, or worse, for their trouble as soon as they got the compass. Emma figured put the guy out of his misery or leave him to the giant after getting what they needed.

"It's me," she finally spoke up. "I'm going, and I'm not gonna fail." She had too much at stake to fail.

"You're new here…," Mary Margaret argued weakly.

"It's about getting back to Henry and Regina," she snapped. "I don't care what I have to face. You're not gonna argue with me?"

"Would it do any good?" her mother ceded.

"No," she agreed. "Anything in that bag that's gonna help me with a giant?" she questioned, securing her swordbelt.

"Or Hook?" Mulan snapped.

"Hey…," Hook muttered.

"Come with me," the warrior sighed. Emma went with her to the edge of the clearing, blocking the pirate's view of what they were doing. " _This_ …powder made from poppies," she said, offering a small pouch. "He has to inhale it."

"Thanks," Emma said, taking the pouch and pocketing it. "Your sword…how strong is it?"

"The most powerful blade in all the realms."

"Is it strong enough to cut through that beanstalk?" she questioned.

"Indeed."

"Give me ten hours," she sighed. "If I'm not back, you cut it down and keep going."

"Snow won't like that," Mulan argued.

"That's why I'm asking you. If _I_ don't get back, you get _her_ home."

"Ladies," Hook called. "In this world, we are slaves to time. And ours is running out. In other words, tick-tock…" Emma glared at him and approached, holding out her hand. "I was hoping it'd be you."

"Just get on with it before I cut your other hand off," she snapped. He smirked and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Put your hand right here," he instructed. "That's a good girl." She narrowed her eyes at him as he put a bracelet on her wrist. "This will allow you to climb. There are other dangers," he added. "Thankfully, you've got me to protect you."

She started to say something about protecting herself, but kept her mouth shut as he demanded his hook from the others.

"Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second," she snapped.

"I would despair if you did," he laughed, putting his hook into place. She rolled her eyes.

"Let's go," she grumbled, starting the climb.

"First beanstalk?" he questioned after a while of climbing. "Well, you never forget your first." She ground her teeth, about to kick him off the stalk to his death. "You know, most men would take your silence as off-putting, but I love a challenge."

"I'm concentrating," she snapped.

"No, you're afraid," he argued. "Afraid to talk…to reveal yourself, to trust me. Things will be a lot smoother if you do."

"You should be used to people not trusting you."

"Ah, the pirate thing," he laughed. "Well, I don't need you to share. You're something of an open book."

"Am I?" she asked incredulously.

"Quite," he agreed. "Let's see. You volunteered to come up here because you…were the most motivated. You need to get back to a child."

"That's not perception," she bit. "That's eavesdropping."

"Ah, but you don't want to abandon him the way you were abandoned."

"Was I?"

"Like I said, an open book," he said.

"How would you know that?"

"I spent many years in Neverland, home of the Lost Boys," he explained. "They all share the same look in their eyes…the look you get when you've been left alone."

"Yeah, well, my world ain't 'Neverland'," she snapped.

"But an orphan's an orphan," he laughed. "Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it? Have you ever been in love?"

"No," she lied, thinking about Neal and Regina and glad that she was further up the stalk than Hook. "I have never been in love."

_Then…_

Emma and Neal stepped into a corner store as they went through another town. She had her trusty bag stuffed up her shirt to make herself look pregnant. As they entered, she glanced around to find any cameras. She nodded a bit to Neal and he smiled a bit.

"I think this little guy is hungry," he said, touching her 'stomach'. "Go ahead and get whatever you want, sweetie. I'm gonna get directions."

"Okay," she agreed, starting down the aisles. Once Neal started engaging the clerk, she started carefully putting things into her bag from the shelves. This wasn't the first time they'd pulled this, so she was prepared. As she reached into a cooler for some sandwiches and drinks, the door jingled and a guy walked into the building.

Emma finished her grab and opened a bottle of water discreetly.

"Hey," she heard the newcomer call. "Hey, mister, that guy's stealing that—"

"Oh, god!" Emma shouted, pouring some of the water out onto the floor to make it seem her water had broken. "Oh, god." She closed the water and shoved it into her shirt before turning around.

"Honey?" Neal questioned.

"Oh…," she groaned. "Oh…I think…I think it's time!"

"He's ready?"

"Oh, yeah," she agreed, glancing at the witness. The guy started to say something and she scrunched her face up in pain as if she was having a contraction. "Oh! Oh! It hurts really bad!"

"You guys need help?" the clerk asked, ignoring the other customer trying to call them out on their thievery.

"Oh, my God!" she gasped. "It hurts _really_ bad!"

"Whoa," Neal approached her and started to usher her out of the store, encouraging her.

"You want me to call an ambulance?"

"No, it's fine! My car's out front," Neal explained as they went to the car. She got into the passenger's seat and Neal got behind the wheel. They drove off and Emma pulled her bag out from under her shirt as they got back on the freeway. "The 'little guy' saved us," he laughed.

"He sure did!" Emma agreed. "The miracle of birth!"

"Nice job with the water bottle," Neal told her as she pulled the half empty bottle out and took a long swig. She then opened her bag. "Wow. Good haul."

"Thanks," she replied with a grin. He dangled a keychain in front of her.

"I got you a keychain. Do you like it?"  
"Yeah," she said as she took the keychain from him and kissed his cheek. They reached the next town and Neal took an exit. They parked in a cheap motel and watched for anyone leaving. It wasn't long before they spotted a family loading up their car to leave. The parents had clearly already checked out, or it was one of those 'pay up front and leave before a certain time' places. Either way, the family loaded up their car and left the parking lot.

"Twenty minutes 'til housekeeping," Neal said as they got out of the car and headed to the empty room with its door standing wide open. "You wanna shower first?" Emma nodded and looked around the room. She spotted a dream catcher.

"Oh, look," she said, picking it up. "The family left this…"

"What is it?"

"It's a Native American dream catcher," she explained. "It's supposed to keep all the nightmares out and only let the good dreams in, to protect your home."

"It's flypaper for nightmares?" he questioned as he started stripping to shower. She nodded a bit. "Let's keep it."

"Yeah?" she questioned, looking at him. "Hang it…where? The car?"

"It's not much of a home…," he muttered. "Maybe it's time we got a real place."

"Are you saying…?"

"Why not?" he asked. "We've been on the road long enough. Maybe it's time we retire the 'Bonnie and Clyde' act. So I think…I think it's time."

"Together?"

"Don't you wanna?"

"Like where, Neverland?" she joked.

"I'm serious," he sighed, setting his expression. "We could do this."

"Where?"

"Where?" he echoed, picking up a child oriented map of the USA. "I'll tell you where. Close your eyes and point. Whatever spot you pick…that's our home." He set the map on the bed and she closed her eyes, smiling. She touched the map and looked to see where she'd picked.

"Tallahassee," she laughed.

"We got a winner."

"Is it near a beach?" she questioned, looking closer at the map.

"Yeah, it's Florida. Everything's near a beach."

"Okay, then Tallahassee it is," she agreed.

"Tallahassee it is," he echoed.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Is this…what you really want?"

"What I really want…is you," he told her before kissing her. She returned the kiss and pulled him to the bathroom. They didn't have time for individual showers before housekeeping invaded.

_There…_

Mulan measured the clearing around the base of the beanstalk and marked it as a sundial so she could tell just how long had passed. For a finishing touch, she stabbed a dagger into the ground where the beanstalk's shadow was at that moment. She'd give Emma until the shadow returned to that spot at the most. When she rejoined the others, she sat down with Aurora and glanced up the beanstalk.

"What is that?" the princess questioned.

"Keeps the time," she sighed.

"You have somewhere to be?" Mary Margaret asked, almost joking.

"We can mark the watches," Mulan explained. "Take turns sleeping. We'll most likely have to walk through the night again, so we should rest while we can."

"I'll take first shift," Mary Margaret offered.

"I'll stay up with you," Aurora sighed. Mulan gave her a questioning look, but said nothing about it. She knew that Aurora was avoiding sleep for some reason, and she wasn't going to press her for answers.

"Okay," she agreed and found a place to rest.

_Now…_

"We can't tell anyone about this until we're sure…," Neal argued after they'd finished discussing the plan for the spell. "If it's not the right well then we're back to square one."

"Luckily I have a way to tell if it's right," Lacey sighed. "And if we're wrong, I'm sure that Marlo is likely close to a portal by now."

"Then we check the well and go from there," Regina agreed, ready to have Emma back.

_There…_

Emma blinked at the chaotic scene at the top of the beanstalk. Obviously some sort of battle had happened, and if Hook's story was even slightly true, this would be where the final battle took place.

"Give me your hand," Hook said suddenly. She glared at him.

"What?"

"Your hand…it's cut," he explained. Surprised, she looked at her hand to see that she was bleeding. "Let me help you."

"No," she bit. "No, it's fine." She didn't want him touching her.

"No, it's not," he argued.

"So _now_ you're gonna be a gentleman?" she demanded, wondering if she could heal herself with magic. She'd created fire and enchanted her compact, maybe she could do more.

"Giants can smell blood, and I'm always a gentleman," he snapped, opening a bottle. Emma stopped him, concentrating on her cut.

Sure enough, the wound started glowing a bit and closed as if it hadn't happened. Smirking, Emma showed her hand to him.

"No need," she snapped. "So what's the plan?"

"We wait for the giant to fall asleep," he sighed. "When he does, we'll sneak past him into his cave. It's where the treasures are, where the compass lies."

"And then?" she muttered, not liking that plan.

"And then, we run like hell."

"I don't have time to wait for a giant to fall asleep," she snapped. "The powder Mulan gave me…," she started, pulling it out. "We need to use it. We gotta knock him out."

"That's riskier," Hook argued, as if her plan wasn't adequate.

"Riskier than waiting for a giant to fall asleep?" she snapped.

"Point taken," he sighed. "You're a tough lass. You'd make a hell of a pirate." He adjusted his sleeves, revealing a tattoo on his arm.

"Who's Milah?" she questioned. Since he'd pressed for answers from her, she may as well return the 'favour'.

"Someone from long ago," he sighed.

"Where is she?" she pressed.

"She's gone."

"Gold…Rumplestiltskin…he took more than your hand from you, didn't he?"

"For someone who's never been in love, you're quite perceptive, aren't you?" he snapped.

"Did he kill her?"

"Worse," was his simple reply. Emma quirked an eyebrow, but stopped pressing. She was gonna throw him to his death anyways, so it didn't matter.

_Then…_

Emma got into the car after a quick run into a doughnut shop. She settled in her seat and opened the box.

"I got doughnuts," she said lightly. When Neal didn't reply, she offered a jelly doughnut to him. "I got jelly," she taunted. He faked a laugh. "What's wrong?" she questioned, putting the doughnuts down.

"Nothing," he lied.

"No, no," she snapped. "Hey," she sighed, touching his arm. "What's wrong?"

"This was on the wall at the post office…," he sighed, showing her a wanted poster with a poorly drawn image of him on it. "I didn't even know they did that still."

"They got your nose wrong," she laughed, trying to cheer him up. It didn't work, so she sighed. "When did this happen?"

"I was a janitor in Phoenix…used a fake ID," he explained. "This high-end jewelry place…the manager was a drunk. He would forget to lock the case to the expensive watches."

"Neal…," she started.

"I resisted… _twice_ ," he defended himself. "The third time…this guy's just asking to get robbed. So I…I grabbed a couple cases of watches and I hopped on a train to Portland. The store's got insurance…," he added weakly. "Anyways, I stashed 'em in a locker at the train station in Phoenix. They're still there, so it's hardly stealing…"

"So, you got away clean?" she questioned, wondering what that wanted poster was for.

"I didn't get away clean," he sighed, shaking the poster a little. "The manager may have been a drunk, but the security cameras are stone sober. I thought this heat had died down, but it hasn't. I'm sorry," he told her. "Tallahassee's out. I gotta go to Canada."

"That's fine," she said with a smile. "I like maple syrup."

"I gotta go to Canada _alone_ ," he amended.

"Why?"

"If I get caught…and you're with me, you're in trouble…"

"You're not gonna get caught," she encouraged.

"How can you say that?" he questioned. "You think crossing the border's easy?"

"We get new IDs and fake passports."

"Those cost money," he argued. "We have a stolen car."

"So, we make it legit," she persisted. "We take a V.I.N. number off of another car."

"Emma, I'm not gonna have you in the seat next to me with twenty grand—"

"Wait," she stopped him. "Wait…seriously…what if _I_ go and get the watches out of the locker? No one's looking for me. We can fence them and _then_ we have the money. We can do whatever we want, _go wherever we want_. We could change out identities and go to Tallahassee!"

"So you…you want to steal the watches to help me get away with stealing the watches?"

"Yes," she laughed. "That's _exactly_ what I want to do."

"I can't let you risk everything…"

"I love you," she argued. She couldn't leave him.

"I love you, too," he sighed. "You think you can do it?" he asked, finally ceding.

"I _know_ I can," she answered with a grin. He returned the smile and they started driving for Phoenix.

 _There_ …

Hook watched as Emma climbed up a statue to prepare for their assault. He smiled a bit, wondering just why she was so distant and cruel to him. Sure, he hadn't been entirely honest with her, but there were times when lies were necessary. He'd been most surprised by her apparent ability to use magic, though she appeared to be a novice.

"You ready?" he called when she stopped moving.

"Yeah," she replied. He picked up a bone and used it to bang on a shield. The ground rumbled and Emma nearly lost her position on the statue. "Damn it," he heard her ground out as she caught herself. The giant stepped out of the fortress and Killian began his part, catching the giant's attention.

"Oi!" he shouted. "Hey! You big git!" The giant looked at him. "Yeah, you! You wanna kill a human, eh?" he taunted. He continued until finally Emma was able to throw her powder at the giant.

The ground shook as the creature fell unconscious. He stumbled a little and barely saw Emma climb down from her perch. "He's out cold," he told her. Killian smirked as they started past the giant and into the fortress. "I don't mean to upset you, Emma, but I think we make quite the team."

"Let's go steal a compass," she snapped, shutting him out again.

Mary Margaret looked up the beanstalk, wishing she could have gone with Emma. Knowing about her daughter's relationship with Regina had her questioning Emma's judgment. And apparently Emma could do magic. She'd avoided thinking about it, but she couldn't help but worry with Emma associating willingly with pirates and an evil sorceress that the 'saviour' would turn out evil after all.

She heard Aurora stirring and moved to wake her up. She knew what Aurora was going through better than Mulan would. The nightmares had stopped, but only because Mary Margaret didn't sleep deeply enough to end up in that place anymore. She touched Aurora's shoulder and steadied her as she came around, gasping for air.

"Hey," she sighed. "Aurora? It was just a dream. It was just a dream…"

"It was horrible," Aurora gasped.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" Mary Margaret offered. "Do you want to tell me about it? Come on, let's stand," she continued, pulling the princess to her feet. "Tell me."

"It was the same as last time…," Aurora breathed out. "I was in this room…this…this red room. It was bright…blood red curtains…there were no windows or doors…it didn't make sense…and I couldn't get in or out…I was trapped. The curtains…they were on fire…it was horrible!" she gasped, trembling. Mary Margaret paused, steadying her.

"It's okay," she said softly.

"I was hunched in a corner, and I looked over into the other corner. In the shadows, there was someone else there," Aurora continued. Mary Margaret blinked in surprise. There had never been anyone else there when she'd had the nightmares. "He was looking right at me."

"It's okay," she encouraged. "It's over now. These nightmares…they will fade away. I promise."

"Did they for you?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Come on." She sat down on the log. "Come on…I'll sit with you until you fall back asleep. Who else do I have to take care of?" Aurora nodded and settled down, resting her head on Mary Margaret's knee. The woman glanced up the beanstalk, hoping that Emma would hurry.

Emma stepped quickly into the treasure room, jumping down the stairs. She ignored Hook's prattle about treasure and focused on the task at hand. They were running out of time.

"Let's get to it," she snapped after a moment. "The compass?"

"What's your rush?" he laughed.

"How long do you think magic knockout powder lasts?" she growled.

"I have no clue," he shrugged.

" _That's_ my rush," she muttered, turning back to her task.

"Too right, lass," he said, following. "Come. Everything we need is right in front of us."

_Then…_

Emma went into the train station in Phoenix, the hood on her jacket covering her head. She had stolen a pair of aviator sunglasses and was pretending to be a little hungover as she headed for the row of lockers. She heard some cops talking, but they only glanced at her.

The teen found the right locker and opened it. She pulled the bag of watches out and started to leave. On her way out, one of the cops stopped her. _Shit…_ , she thought frantically. She looked at him, lifting her sunglasses a little.

"You all right, miss?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine…just had too much at the bar last night when we got in…," she groaned.

"You have a ride?"

"Yeah, my husband's waiting in the car," she replied. Satisfied, the cop left and Emma headed out of the station, letting out a heavy sigh.

_There…_

Killian smiled a little as Emma walked ahead of him. She was certainly determined. Surely her son had been conceived with someone Emma loved. He decided she had more mystery to her than he'd thought.

"They kill all the giant housekeepers, too?" she joked. "How're we gonna find a compass in this mess?"

"By looking," he snapped. "Start searching. I wonder how much treasure we could carry down the beanstalk…," he murmured, pocketing a few coins. "In addition to the compass, of course," he added when she glared at him.

They continued searching and as they went, Killian slipped several more coins in his pockets. Emma stopped in her tracks and he noticed that she was staring at a skeleton.

"What the hell?"

"That…," he sighed, seeing the name engraved on the sword beside the bones. "Would be Jack."

"As in Jack…"

"The giant killer," he finished for her.

"With that toothpick?"

"Well, it packs quite a wallop," he explained. "You'd be surprised." He continued walking and abruptly, Emma dragged him back. He put his arms around her, grinning. "It's about bloody time."

"It's a trip wire," she snapped, squirming in his embrace. "Quite a security system." She stepped back and pointed at a cage above them.

"Well, that's a plausible excuse for grabbing me," he laughed. "But next time, don't stand on ceremony."

"I have a girlfriend," she bit. "Let's find the compass and go home."

"Apologies," he sighed. "Ladies first." She rolled her eyes and stepped over the wire.

_Then…_

Neal bit his thumb as he waited in the car for Emma. If she got caught with those watches she'd get the heat. He felt like a coward, letting her do this. Finally, he saw her in the rear view mirror and he let out a breath. She got in the car and he leaned over to hug her.

"Oh, thank God," he muttered, kissing her. She handed him the case of watches out of the bag.

"Let's see 'em," she laughed. He opened the case and smiled at her. "That's not as many as I thought…"

"Yeah, but they're super pricey," he told her. "This is twenty grand, easy."

"Twenty thousand?!" she gasped, leaning towards him. "Tallahassee…"

"Listen," he laughed, kissing her. "I'm gonna go meet the fence. I'll meet you with the money." She nodded and he touched her chin gently. "Remember where? The parking structure by the tracks…"

"Yes," she answered.

"Nine sharp…," he sighed, pulling one of the watches out and putting it on her wrist. "This is so there are no mix-ups…"

"So, I guess we're keeping this one?" she laughed.

"How can we not? Look how good it looks on you," he said lightly. He kissed her again. "Tallahassee, baby…we're almost home…"

"Home…," she agreed as he got out of the car. He smiled back at her as he headed down the street. He soon heard footsteps behind him and he made a run for it, thinking it was a cop. He made it to a fence and started to climb, but the person pursuing him dragged him to the ground.

He struggled. "You got the wrong guy, officer!" he shouted. "I wasn't even jaywalking!"

"It's not like that," the man said, getting up. "You want to protect Emma? Come with me."

"What!?" he gasped.

"Get up."

"How do you know Emma?" he asked, getting to his feet.

"Name's August," the guy replied. "And it's a long story, but trust me…you want to hear it."

"All right, August," Neal sighed. "If you're not a cop, who are you? You got two minutes."

"Think of me…as Emma's guardian angel."

"Guardian angel?" he scoffed. "I'd say you've been doing a pretty crap job."

"I've been looking for her for the past two years," August sighed. "Now, I finally find her, and she's robbing convenience stores with some deadbeat. Tell me again who's doing the crap job."

"Let me tell you something," Neal bit, jabbing his finger at the man's chest. "I'm the best thing that's ever happened to her. Two years? Where were you the rest of her life?"

"I'm not perfect," the man defended weakly.

"Don't make excuses! We're goin' to Tallahassee and we're going straight," he growled, shoving past August and leaving the alley. As he went, he was struck from behind. The blow knocked him unconscious.

Emma checked the watch, frowning. What was taking Neal so long to get there? She pulled out her burner phone and dialed the only number in it. She received an error message.

"The number you are trying to reach is out of service," the voice said on the other end. "If you think you've reached this message in error—"

"Damn right it's an error," she snapped, ending the call.

"Unless he set you up," someone said behind her and she turned to see a cop there. "Hands above your head please, miss."

"Wait," she paused, lifting her hands. "Why?"

"Possession of stolen goods," he explained. "Left you holding."

"I have nothing," she lied.

"Sorry to tell you, but your boy took off," the cop sighed. "Probably in Canada by now. He called in a tip…told us to take a look at the surveillance footage at the train station. Give me the watch," he instructed. Shocked, Emma stood still. "Now!"

She jolted and unfastened the watch. "You know your rights?" he questioned as he took the watch. She nodded dumbly.

"Yeah…"

"Good girl," he murmured. "Turn around." She did as instructs and he started cuffing her. "Where are the rest of the watches?"

"They're gone…," she whispered. "And they're not coming back…"

"Let's go…," he said, taking her to his cruiser.

_There…_

Emma shook her head, things starting to seem pretty hopeless. Maybe the compass wasn't there. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her mirror.

"So it's just…in here somewhere?" she questioned, her attention on the mirror.

"Well, it's certainly not in that mirror," Hook sighed. "Come give me a boost, would you, love?" She shoved the mirror back into her pocket.

"So I can't see what you're pocketing? No way. You give me a boost," she snapped, walking over to him.

"Try something new, darling," he laughed. "It's called trust."

"We do it side by side," she bit, ignoring his statement. "Who knows how long before the—" she was interrupted by the ground shaking.

"Someone's up," he sighed, making a run for it. "Quickly, get under something." The ground began shaking as the giant ran into the room. The giant would know where the compass was. If she could get the giant under that cage, she could trap it long enough to get some answers.

The ceiling caved in and several chunks of the debris fell onto Hook. Good riddance to bad rubbish, she figured, but she could at least check to see if he was alive. She leaned over and saw him shift under the debris.

"Hook?" she questioned, but he was out cold. She turned as the giant got closer and snatched her up.

_Then…_

Neal ran to the parking structure when he came to. Emma wasn't there. He checked the time and slammed his hand on the wall.

"That bastard!" he shouted. He looked for his burner phone, but it was gone. "I gotta find her…how the hell is sending her to jail good for her?" He started searching for her. He found out that she was in a minimum security facility, but August was waiting on his way to stop him.

"You need to stay away from her," the man snapped.

"You set her up! How is sending her to jail supposed to help her?!" he shouted. "We were gonna clean up our act in Tallahassee…why are you putting her through this?!"

"Because she has better things coming. And people don't change unless they have something bad happens to them."

"That's not true," Neal snapped, thinking of his father and how he probably hadn't changed at all in all those years. "And what do you know about her future?"

"There's a curse, and it needs to be broken," he explained.

"Curse?" Neal froze. "You…you're from…over there?"

"Yeah, and I know who you are. She doesn't need that in her life when she's the saviour."

"I'm not my father," he growled, turning to leave. He paused. "And if you want me to stay away from her, it's gonna be a lot harder next time."

After he left, Neal got the car a clean V.I.N. and fenced the watches. He took what he needed of the money to get to Canada until the heat died down. When they stopped looking for him, he'd go back and tell Emma what happened, tell her everything he hadn't before, and they'd break that stupid curse together. He couldn't do that if she'd done his time and he was still on the lamb.

He sent her the rest of the money and the car keys, his only clue for her that it was from him being the keychain he'd swiped for her. It would at least be enough to help her get on her feet when she got out.

_There…_

Emma struggled in the giant's grip. He tightened his grip and she struggled for air.

"I'm not what you think!" she gasped out.

"You're a thief," he growled. "And you poisoned me, so yeah, I'm pretty sure you're exactly what I think."

"No! Look, you have a compass," she tried reasoning with him. "I need it!'

"I don't care what you need!"

"No, for my son! To save my son! Don't you have a family?"

"No," he bit. "Because humans killed them all."

Emma tried to focus. Her hand started glowing and she slapped the giant's thumb. He shouted in pain and dropped her. She rolled down his robe and got her footing. She caught her breath and held out her hand, imagining Jack's sword in her hand. She took a few steps away from the giant as the sword flew into her open hand.

The giant paused at her use of magic and she lifted her free hand. The cage still on the ceiling rattled as she summoned it to trap the giant. It did as she envisioned and Emma stepped back again before brandishing the sword, aiming for his eye.

"No!" he shouted. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"I can tell by your face you know what this is," she sighed. "Let me guess…it's dipped in some sort of poison. You have a compass. I need it."

"You're going to kill me either way," he sighed. "Go ahead…kill me."

"You don't know me," she snapped. She wasn't planning on killing him. All she needed was the compass and then she'd put Hook out of his misery and go home.

"I know your kind," the giant argued. "They massacred us, and destroyed our beans."

"I heard it the other way."

"That's because the victors get to tell the story," he bit. She rolled her eyes and brandished the sword again. "Okay! Stop! You want the compass…but it's not here. A few years ago, some woman came and stole it from me…when everything below was frozen."

"Maybe you're telling the truth," she sighed, looking him over. "Doesn't really matter. I have to go…are there any more of you?" She was already thinking of a new plan to get home. If she couldn't get the compass, then Cora couldn't get to Storybrooke.

"No, I'm alone," he answered. "But…" He slid pendant with a dried bean stuck to it. "Maybe you can do something with this?"

"What's this?" she questioned, pulling the bean from the pendant. "Is this a bean? Can this make a portal?"

"Not anymore," he sighed. "It was destroyed like the rest of them. I wore it as a reminder…a reminder that you're all killers." She shook her head and pocketed the bean, throwing the sword away.

"You're wrong," she sighed. She started for the exit and paused to pick the sword back up. She turned to go find Hook when the cage practically exploded. The giant stood and she brandished the blade. Instead of attacking her, the giant picked up a boulder and threw it to the other side of the room.

"Go," he told her.

"Why?"

'Because you could've killed me, and you didn't. You get one favour," he told her. "Now go, before I change my mind." She paused, considering. She wasn't comfortable with killing someone, even if he deserved it.

"Actually…," she started. "I get two favours."

"What?"

"Well, the way I see it, I could've killed you twice…," she rationalized. "The poison and when you were knocked out. I didn't."

"What do you want?" he demanded. She smiled a little and explained her plan before going to Hook. She helped the pirate from under the debris.

"You are bloody brilliant," he laughed. "Amazing! May I see it? The compass."

"It's not here. Someone beat us to it years ago," she snapped, chaining him to a wall.

"What? What are you doing?" he demanded. "What are you doing?!"

"Hook, you're lucky I'm not killing you," she growled, turning to leave."

"Emma, look at me! Have I told you a lie? I brought you here! I risked my own safety to help you!"

"No," she snapped. "You've been lying from the start. _I_ brought me here. You risked your safety for yourself. You think I don't know you were planning on taking the compass and serving me to Cora on a silver platter? I'm not about to let the love of my life suffer at the hands of her abusive mother!" She started to run off, ignoring his shouts.

Mulan checked the time and sighed heavily. She stepped towards the beanstalk and drew her sword.

"Whoa!" she heard Mary Margaret shout. "Wait! What are you doing?" The woman grabbed her arm and Mulan jerked away from her.

"Just stay back," she growled. "Emma gave me ten hours."

"No! No! NO!"

"What, you're just going to leave her to die?" Aurora demanded.

"Ten hours," Mulan sighed. "She may already be dead."

"No, st—" Aurora broke off as Mulan struck the beanstalk. A surge of magic went upwards and she prepared for a second strike.

"NO!" Mary Margaret shouted as she tackled Mulan to the ground. The warrior fought to get her off as Aurora shouted at them to stop.

"This was your daughter's wish!" Mulan shouted.

"I don't care what you say!" Mary Margaret snapped, pinning her. "You do _not_ put my daughter in danger!"

"Stop!" Emma's voice came from the beanstalk and they looked to see the blonde jumping from the beanstalk.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret gasped, jumping to her feet. Mulan pushed herself up as Mary Margaret ran to check Emma for injury. "Are you okay?"

"Two earthquakes and a jump from a beanstalk…I think my brain's still rattling around a little…"

"I did what you ordered, nothing more than that," Mulan defended herself. "Did you get it?"

"No. Someone beat us to it. Years ago," the blonde sighed. "But…I got this." She pulled a dried bean out of her pocket. "Maybe we can bring it back to life at Lake Nostos?"

"How do you know about the Lake?" Mary Margaret gasped.

"It was in Henry's book. I know it dried up, but maybe we can find some water if we dig? I don't know…it's our best bet."

"Fine…"

"W-Where's Hook?" Aurora questioned.

"He's detained," Emma sighed. "Let's go. Get your stuff. We got ten hours before he follows us."

"What?" Mary Margaret questioned. "How?"

"I got a friend looking after him till then," Emma explained as they started off.

_Then…_

Emma sighed as she sat on the bed in her cell. She barely registered the sound of a cell block opening. She'd asked for a pregnancy test and the results were troubling her.

"Swan," a guard said, catching her attention. "You got mail. Know anyone in Canada?" Emma's eyes went wide, seeing the thick package in the guard's hand. "I've gotta open this in front of you, those are the rules." She nodded and the guard opened the envelope.

The woman lifted an eyebrow and pulled out a check. "Well, whoever it is…they sent you a check. And some car keys…Hope you got the car it goes with." She held up the keys with an all too familiar keychain attached to it.

Emma knew immediately that it was from Neal. "No letter though, sorry. But good news…you get a car and some cash when you get out," the guard said lightly, turning to leave. "And a baby…congratulations," she added before leaving.

Emma looked at the pregnancy test again and sighed at the positive results. She wasn't sure what to do about this.

_Now…_

Henry was sleeping in the guest room at David's house. He stirred and woke, sitting up. A scream caught in his throat. He tried to catch his breath, still terrified. The door burst open and David rushed to his side.

"Henry?" his grandfather questioned, sitting beside him. "Hey, hey, hey…you're okay…" He pulled him into a hug and tried to calm him. "You're okay," he repeated.  
"I…j-just had the worst nightmare…," Henry gasped.

"It's over now."

"Okay…," he breathed, catching his breath.

"Okay? Here," David sighed, lighting a candle on the bedside table. "This will help."

"A candle?"

"Yeah, they keep the nightmares away," he explained. Henry nodded a little. "Now, talk to me…what was so bad?"

"I…I was in this room, and…and it was red," he started. "And…there were no doors, no windows…" David nodded a little. "And these curtains…they were on _fire_! And I was in this corner…"

"Right…"

"And…and…and I was looking up…and there was someone else there! She was staring at me through the flames. Th-Then I woke up…and…"

"Hey, don't worry, all right?" David encouraged. "It was just a bad dream."


End file.
